NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

October 3, 2013

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Table of Contents

ASSOCIATED PRESS ................................................................................................................................................ 2

Rex says no to color codes for struggling Smith (Dennis Waszak) ............................................................................ 2

Jets sign former Bills receiver David Nelson (Dennis Waszak) .................................................................................. 3

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 4

Rex Ryan says no surgery is scheduled for Mark Sanchez (Greg Logan) ................................................................... 4

Rex Ryan changes mind about having Geno Smith use color-coded wristband (Greg Logan) .................................. 5

THE RECORD .......................................................................................................................................................... 6

Jets notes: Nelson practices with team (J.P. Pelzman) .............................................................................................. 6

Pelzman on Jets: Rex Ryan can’t decide on direction for Geno Smith (J.P. Pelzman) ............................................... 7

NFL: A look at Jets-Falcons (J.P. Pelzman) ................................................................................................................. 8

STAR-LEDGER ......................................................................................................................................................... 9

Demoted Jets left guard Vladimir Ducasse can't explain reasons for penalties (Darryl Slater) ................................ 9

David Nelson joins threadbare Jets receiving corps, looking to contribute immediately (Michael Fensom) ......... 11

Jets' Geno Smith attempts to gain comfort, limit turnovers in trial-and-error life of rookie quarterback (Darryl Slater) ...................................................................................................................................................................... 12

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 13

Rex has no clue how to stop Jets’ turnover woes (Mark Cannizzaro) ..................................................................... 13

Two of Jets top wideouts likely out (Zach Braziller) ................................................................................................ 14

Back from ban, Goodson says he’s good to go (Brian Costello) .............................................................................. 15

Geno Smith focuses on keeping the ball (Brian Costello) ....................................................................................... 16

Jets considering Sanchez color-coded system for Geno (Zach Braziller) ................................................................. 18

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 18

Geno Smith can't act like rookie when NY Jets face Falcons (Seth Walder)............................................................ 18

NY Jets WR David Nelson has lots to learn (Kevin Armstrong and Seth Walder) .................................................... 19

Colored-coded wristband a bad idea for Geno Smith, NY Jets (Manish Mehta) ..................................................... 20

NEW YORK TIMES ................................................................................................................................................ 22

A Yellow Light for the Jets, but No Color-Coded System (Zach Schonbrun) ........................................................... 22

WALL STREET JOURNAL ....................................................................................................................................... 23

Gang Green May Try New Set of Colors (Dave Caldwell) ........................................................................................ 23

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................. 24

Rex Ryan: No color-coded system (Rich Cimini) ...................................................................................................... 24

Holmes out weeks; Jets add WR (Rich Cimini) ........................................................................................................ 26

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Wristband reveals Rex's true colors (Johnette Howard) ......................................................................................... 26

Jets RB Mike Goodson: 'I'm a playmaker' (Rich Cimini) .......................................................................................... 28

Jets' color-coded system may return (Rich Cimini) ................................................................................................. 29

ESPN .................................................................................................................................................................... 30

Jake Locker: Jets shouldn't be fined (Paul Kuharsky) .............................................................................................. 30

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 30

Jets defensive line has makings of second ‘Sack Exchange’ (Kristian Dyer) ............................................................ 30

Jets Notebook: David Nelson added to ailing receiving corps (Kristian Dyer) ......................................................... 32

WEDNESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS............................................................................................................... 33

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rex says no to color codes for struggling Smith (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press October 2, 2013

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/jets-might-color-codes-struggling-203357694--nfl.html

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) -- Red light. Green light. Forget it.

A few hours after saying the New York Jets are considering using a wristband with plays designated by color - red, yellow and green - to help struggling Geno Smith, Rex Ryan decided against it.

''To be honest with you, I don't plan on doing that now,'' Ryan told ESPN NY 98.7 on Wednesday.

The Jets, trying to help cut down on turnovers in games, used a similar method during Mark Sanchez's rookie season in 2009 to help him determine how aggressive he can be on a given play.

Red plays mean the quarterback needs to be conservative, yellow means he must be cautious and green indicates he can be aggressive.

With 11 turnovers, including eight interceptions and three fumbles lost, Smith is tied with the Giants' Eli Manning for the league lead in that dubious category.

''I really haven't planned anything specifically yet with him, but we'll see what happens during the week,'' Ryan said before practice. ''I had mentioned that red-yellow-green, and hey, whatever it takes.''

Smith said after practice that the Jets hadn't spoken to him about using the wristband system.

''If it helps the team and if it helps me get better,'' Smith said, ''then I'm all for it.''

Smith is learning on the job as a rookie, and the Jets are trying to remain patient with the second-round draft pick. There have been exciting flashes at times mixed in with some miserable moments, such as the four turnovers last Sunday that led to 28 points for the Titans in the Jets' 38-13 loss.

Sanchez is out with a shoulder injury and on injured reserve with a designation to return as he contemplates whether he should have surgery. Meanwhile, the only other quarterbacks on the roster are the inexperienced Matt Simms, who has never thrown a pass in the regular season, and veteran Brady Quinn, who has been inactive the last few weeks.

So, until he gets a red light, it's Smith's job.

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''I don't necessarily think that it's really mental,'' Ryan said. ''I think it's the experience of what you can do and what you can't do - when you have to try to dirt the ball, and when you have to get rid of it.''

While there was no talk of the red-yellow-green plays, Smith said the team did put him through some drills to help him become more aware of securing the ball. He is focusing on running with the ball high and close to his body rather than letting it become an easy target for defensive players.

Against Tennessee, Smith ran for a first down in the second quarter, but then had the ball tomahawked out of his hand. The Titans recovered and moments later scored a touchdown.

''We did a little bit of footwork drills, got a little tired and then we had guys tugging at the ball to see how you would hold it,'' he said. ''That's pretty much how it is in the game. You're a bit tired and you've been running around and guys are stripping at it, but you've got to hold on to it.''

And, Smith got a good workout in with ''pretty much everyone'' taking their shots at trying to dislodge the ball from his hands.

Smith, of course, is not the first touted rookie to struggle with ball security. He did seem surprised, however, when told that Peyton Manning threw 11 interceptions in his first four NFL starts in 1998.

''It's a part of the growing pains as a quarterback and as a rookie, especially at any position, let alone quarterback, the toughest position in the league,'' Smith said. ''I'm not trying to compare scenarios or his career to mine. I'm just out there trying to focus on myself and eliminate those turnovers.

''I don't want to have eight at this point, but it's already said and done, so I've got to move on from it and just get better.''

Ryan acknowledged that there's a ''fine line'' between making sure Smith doesn't become too timid with his playmaking while focusing on not having turnovers.

''There's no question you want to be aggressive, but you don't want to do something to the detriment of your football team,'' Ryan said. ''Clearly, turning the football over has been a real problem. Not just this season, but the last couple of seasons.

''And we all know what that leads to.''

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Jets sign former Bills receiver David Nelson (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press October 2, 2013

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-sign-former-bills-receiver-david-nelson

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — David Nelson was home in Texas and getting ready to head to a baseball game Monday night, when his agent called.

Forget the Texas Rangers-Tampa Bay Rays wild-card tiebreaker, he told the wide receiver.

"You should probably watch the football game," Nelson recalled him saying. "Because you're going to be playing next Monday night."

The New York Jets signed Nelson on Wednesday, and the former Buffalo Bills wide receiver could make an immediate impact on a banged-up receiving corps. Santonio Holmes and Stephen Hill could both be sidelined for the Jets' game against the Falcons at Atlanta on Monday night, so Nelson might need to be ready to play despite just getting to his new team.

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"I'm confident that I can, when it comes to Monday," Nelson said, "I'll know where to be and when to be there."

Holmes tweaked a hamstring at Tennessee last Sunday and is expected to miss a few games. Hill suffered a concussion, and his status was uncertain.

"I think David is going to be a big-time target for us," quarterback Geno Smith said.

Nelson played with Buffalo from 2010-12 and caught 94 passes for 1,042 yards and eight touchdowns. He signed with Cleveland in the offseason but was among the Browns' final cuts before the regular season. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Nelson's best season came in 2011, when he had 61 receptions for 658 yards and five touchdowns.

"I've never been involved in a West Coast system, per se," Nelson said about offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg's offense. "Routes are similar. It's just done in a little bit different manner as far as motioning and formations. But the routes are the same, so it's just figuring out what routes go with what concept."

He said he's completely healthy after he tore a ligament in his right knee in the Bills' season opener last year — against the Jets at MetLife Stadium.

Nelson, who impressed the Jets during a workout last week, spent several hours working with receivers coach Sanjay Lal on Tuesday. Nelson said Smith also introduced himself and immediately took him to the film room to watch the Falcons' offense together.

"He's a veteran guy, and you've got to get him up to speed in a hurry," coach Rex Ryan said. "I have no idea how much he knows of this system or anything else right now. But I know we had to defend against him. He's a very capable receiver."

In four games against the Jets, Nelson had 15 receptions for 189 yards and two TDs — both in 2011.

"I told him it's good to finally be on his side so I don't have to worry about his schemes anymore," Nelson said he told Ryan. "And he turned around and said, 'It's good to have you on my side so I don't have to worry about scheming against you anymore. So, that was comforting and gave me a lot of confidence."

Oh, and as far as that Rangers game, Nelson still went and watched Texas' season end with a 5-2 loss to Tampa Bay.

"I'm a huge Rangers fan, and a huge baseball fan," Nelson said. "It was just a chance to celebrate with my brother and spend one last night in Dallas before it was back to the grind."

NEWSDAY

Rex Ryan says no surgery is scheduled for Mark Sanchez (Greg Logan) Newsday October 2, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/rex-ryan-says-no-surgery-is-scheduled-for-mark-sanchez-1.6186622

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- It might not put an end to speculation about when or if Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez will undergo surgery on his injured throwing shoulder, but Jets coach Rex Ryan Wednesday said in a radio interview that no surgery currently is scheduled.

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Asked for an update on Sanchez's status by ESPN host Michael Kay, Ryan said, "We spoke with Mark. All indications to us is he's going to continue rehab. Matter of fact, he was here today rehabbing."

As a prelude to his induction in the Jets Ring of Honor on Oct. 13, radio announcer Marty Lyons celebrated with club employees when a huge picture of No. 93 in his playing days as part of the "New York Sack Exchange" defensive line was raised on the wall of the indoor practice facility alongside those of other Jets greats.

Lyons reminisces

As proud as he is of his 11-season NFL career, Lyons said his greatest source of inspiration is the work his foundation has done granting wishes for terminally ill children. "I always thought it was more important to be recognized in the community for something you choose to do, not something you get paid to do," Lyons said. "It's an honor for me to represent all the children from the foundation."

Lyons recalled playing with a harness on both shoulders, pins in a broken thumb and a torn hamstring that required a tape job from his back to under his heel to hold him together. His most memorable game was the 14-0 loss at Miami in the AFC title game known as the "Mud Bowl" after the 1982 season.

"I remember the coaches saying, 'Don't worry. We'll get them next year' . . . That next year never came. You always remember the good, but unfortunately, you always remember the bad."

Jet streams

CBSSports.com reported that Mo Wilkerson was fined $15,785 for his hit on Titans quarterback Jake Locker in last Sunday's game . . . Ryan said rookie LG Brian Winters will work with the first team in practice and could start ahead of Vladimir Ducasse in Atlanta.

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Rex Ryan changes mind about having Geno Smith use color-coded wristband (Greg Logan) Newsday October 2, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/rex-ryan-changes-mind-about-having-geno-smith-use-color-coded-wristband-1.6186599

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Color Rex Ryan concerned.

The Jets coach is so worried about rookie quarterback Geno Smith's penchant for turnovers -- 11 this season, including four that led to Tennessee touchdowns last Sunday -- that he briefly considered reviving the old remedial "red light-green light'' play system he invoked in Mark Sanchez's rookie year.

Back in 2009, Ryan devised a wristband for Sanchez that labeled plays "red, yellow and green'' in terms of how aggressive he could be with the ball. But the words were barely out of Ryan's mouth Wednesday when he met with the media before he was on ESPN Radio executing a U-turn by saying he won't try the color-coded system.

Ryan's musings were an indication of the urgency he feels to right the ship while it's still his to sail under new general manager John Idzik. "Clearly, we have things we have to fix, and protecting the football is the No. 1 thing alongside penalties,'' Ryan said.

No one ever broached the subject of a color-coded system with Smith, who was somewhat taken aback after practice when the media peppered him with questions about it. "We haven't discussed anything like that,'' Smith said.

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But turnovers are his top priority, too. Asked for his thoughts on playing Monday Night Football in Atlanta, Smith said, "It's another chance to go out there and take care of that football. I'm really emphasizing taking care of the ball, not putting it on the ground, not having any interceptions.''

The rookie was preaching what he had just finished practicing. He lost two egregious fumbles at Tennessee, when the ball was batted out of his hand while running in the open field and when he tried putting it behind his back while being sacked in his end zone.

So Smith went through ball-protection drills with the running backs yesterday.

"They had me in the running back turnover circuit with the ball high and tight,'' he said. "I had guys ripping at it. That's how it is in the game. You're a bit tired and you're running around and guys are ripping at it, but you've got to hold onto it."

Don't be surprised if the Jets place more emphasis on the running game. As Ryan joked, "We're thinking about putting the Wishbone in. That would be something, wouldn't it?''

The "ground and pound'' style is what really got Sanchez over the hump as a rookie, not the colored wristband. Lately, Bilal Powell has been running well, and the Jets get Mike Goodson back from suspension and might have Chris Ivory off the injury list. Running the ball is the best way to keep it away from the Falcons' high-powered offense.

Passing will be tougher because starting wide receivers Santonio Holmes (hamstring) and Stephen Hill (concussion) are unlikely to play. That leaves a thin group of Jeremy Kerley, Clyde Gates and rookie Ryan Spadola plus former Buffalo wideout David Nelson, who practiced for the first time Wednesday since his signing. The 6-5 receiver was cut by Cleveland in camp but has 94 NFL catches, including 61 in 2011 with the Bills.

"I think Dave is going to be a big-time target for us,'' Smith said. "He's got a great body frame; he's got speed; he's got great hands.''

As Smith and this Jets team should know by now, "great hands'' are vital to success in the NFL.

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THE RECORD

Jets notes: Nelson practices with team (J.P. Pelzman) The Record October 3, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/226256551_Jets_notes__Nelson_practices_with_team.html

Nelson joins Jets

Veteran wide receiver David Nelson, who was signed by the Jets on Wednesday morning, participated in his first practice in the afternoon.

The Jets have two injured wideouts, Santonio Holmes (hamstring) and Stephen Hill (concussion), and it’s quite possible Nelson could see plenty of action against Atlanta on Monday night.

Nelson, who had 94 receptions from 2010-12 with Buffalo, believes he can get acclimated to the Jets’ West Coast offense quickly.

"It’s similar to what I did at Buffalo as far as the concept," said Nelson, who missed the last 15 games of the 2012 season after suffering a knee injury in the opener, coincidentally against the Jets.

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"I’ve never been involved in a West Coast system, per se," he added. "Routes are similar, it’s just done in a little bit different manner as far as motioning and formations.

"But the routes are the same so it’s just [a matter of] figuring out what routes go with what concept."

Nelson added, "I’m confident that I can. I’ll know where to be [Monday] and when to be there, it’s just being on the right page with [QB Geno Smith]. In the NFL it’s all about that chemistry with your quarterback, all about the trust."

Briefs

RB Mike Goodson, who will be eligible to make his Jets debut Monday after serving a four-game suspension, indicated he believes he will play on special teams. The Jets could use him as a kickoff returner. … Tennessee safety Michael Griffin was fined $21,000 for his hit Sunday that caused Hill’s concussion. Griffin told reporters in Nashville, Tenn., that he intends to appeal the fine. … Former Jets defensive lineman and longtime radio analyst Marty Lyons spoke to reporters about his impending induction into the Jets’ Ring of Honor on Oct. 13. "It’s a very humbling honor," he said.

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Pelzman on Jets: Rex Ryan can’t decide on direction for Geno Smith (J.P. Pelzman) The Record October 2, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/Pelzman_on_Jets_Rex_Ryan_cant_decide_on_direction.html?page=all

FLORHAM PARK — Geno Smith’s indecisiveness has been a major issue in the Jets’ turnover-plagued start.

But judging by Wednesday’s events, perhaps his head coach’s decision-making process could use some improvement, too.

During his daily news conference, Rex Ryan introduced the idea of reinstituting a color-coded, play-calling system he used in Mark Sanchez’s rookie season of 2009. At the time, it was designed to help Sanchez understand when he needed to be extremely cautious, and when he could take chances.

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Ryan said when asked if he might use the same system for Smith when the Jets (2-2) visit Atlanta on Monday night.

“[It’s] kind of a fine line,” Ryan added, “[between] being aggressive yet being smart with [the football] as well.”

Ryan’s comments immediately became news on Twitter and on the Internet. But three hours later, he backed off totally.

During an interview on 98.7 ESPN Radio, the coach said, “To be honest with you, I don’t plan on doing that now.”

Well, clearly the Jets need to do something, considering that Smith has eight interceptions and three lost fumbles through four games, tying him with the Giants’ Eli Manning for the most turnovers by an individual this season.

One tactic they used Wednesday in practice was emphasizing ball security for Smith during drills.

Smith, who lost one fumble on a scramble and another on a sack at Tennessee on Sunday, said he was “running with the ball high and tight. I had a guy tugging at it and [I was] just keeping two hands on the

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ball aggressively in the pocket, stepping up in the pocket and getting the ball out faster. That’s always been the emphasis for us, but [Wednesday] we put a little extra emphasis on it.”

When asked who was tugging at the ball on defense, Smith replied, “Everybody. Pretty much everyone.”

Ryan and then-offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer used the color-coded system late in the 2009 season, after Sanchez threw four interceptions in a 31-14 loss to New England that Nov. 22. When Sanchez came onto the field against Carolina a week later, he wore a wristband with the play calls on it, and those calls were shaded red, yellow or green. Red meant Sanchez needed to be extremely cautious, green meant he could be aggressive and yellow was a middle ground.

The Jets won five of their last six regular-season games that year with Sanchez and backup Kellen Clemens, who started one game in place of the injured Sanchez, running an ultra-conservative offense.

Smith spoke to reporters in between Ryan’s flip-flopping, and said he hadn’t heard anything about such an idea.

“We haven’t discussed any of that,” said Smith, who has not worn a wristband with the plays. “If it helps the team, if it helps me get better, then I’m all for it, but we haven’t discussed it yet.”

Ryan probably made the right decision in backing off of the red-yellow-green light idea, simply because one of the positives of Smith’s play thus far has been his ability to throw the deep ball. The Jets will need to use that when facing some of the high-powered offenses they will be seeing, starting with the Falcons.

But it also shows that Ryan, who makes no pretense about the fact he is a defensive coach first and foremost, might not be the best head coach to shepherd a rookie quarterback through the inevitable ups and downs.

Still, give Ryan credit for vehemently defending Smith, much the same way he stuck up for Sanchez when he was struggling mightily four years ago.

Ryan was asked if Smith will need to raise his game if wide receivers Santonio Holmes (hamstring) and Stephen Hill (concussion) don’t play Monday night. Neither was seen on the practice field Wednesday, and a source said Holmes will miss the Atlanta game and likely more action.

“Any time you’re down a couple of players,” Ryan said, “especially in [one] area, it would be on everyone to step up, not just the quarterback.”

He also joked, “We’re thinking about putting the wishbone in. That would be something, wouldn’t it?”

Especially if the calls were colored red, yellow and green.

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NFL: A look at Jets-Falcons (J.P. Pelzman) The Record October 2, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/226087681_NFL__A_look_at_Jets-Falcons.html?page=all

Jets (2-2) at Falcons (1-3)

At Georgia Dome

Monday, 8:40 p.m.

TV: ESPN, PIX 11Radio: ESPN-FM 98.7

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Early line: Falcons by 9 1/2

Atlanta had Super Bowl aspirations when the season began, but has lost close games to New Orleans, Miami and New England. A major problem for the Falcons has been their lack of efficiency in the red zone. They are 28th in the league and had only one TD on Sunday in six visits inside the New England 20. This is the first time Atlanta has started 1-3 since 2007, when Bobby Petrino was the head coach. He resigned when that team was 3-10 in December. Former Giant Osi Umenyiora and his teammates had no sacks of New England's Tom Brady.

In the spotlight

Jets running back Mike Goodson: The fifth-year pro, who has averaged 4.5 yards per carry in limited play during four NFL seasons, will play for the first time this season after serving a four-game NFL-imposed suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. With RB Chris Ivory (hamstring) expected to miss a second straight game, Goodson figures to get numerous carries while backing up starter Bilal Powell. He also is a fine receiver, plus his speed and shiftiness could help the Jets' 23rd-ranked kickoff-return unit.

Game plan

The Jets are minus-10 in turnover ratio and QB Geno Smith is tied for the individual league lead with 11 giveaways. So it's likely the Jets will try to establish the run against an Atlanta defense allowing 4.0 yards per carry. The Jets' secondary allowed four touchdowns in the loss to Tennessee on Sunday, and Falcons' QB Matt Ryan, WR Roddy White and TE Tony Gonzalez have the capability of exploiting the Jets if they don't generate a consistent pass rush.

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STAR-LEDGER

Demoted Jets left guard Vladimir Ducasse can't explain reasons for penalties (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger October 2, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/10/demoted_jets_left_guard_vladimir_ducasse_cant_explain_reasons_for_penalties.html

Monday night in Atlanta, the Jets probably will start a rookie left guard, third-round draft pick Brian Winters, who has played one snap all season, when he replaced Vladimir Ducasse in the Week 3 win over Buffalo.

If Winters does indeed start, the Jets understand there are going to be rookie mistakes. But they would be banking on Winters performing better over the long haul than Ducasse did during the first four games. Ducasse did not set a very high bar, though he was nonetheless disappointed Wednesday about his demotion.

The Jets haven’t officially named Winters the starter for Monday yet, but Jets coach Rex Ryan is working Winters with the first team this week, so you can see where this is probably going, as the Jets evaluate Winters.

“I’d like to see Brian,” Ryan said Wednesday as the Jets resumed practice for Atlanta. “We’ll work him in with the ones this week and see how that goes.”

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Winters and Ducasse battled for the left guard spot in the preseason, but Winters was limited by an ankle injury. Winters’ ankle is healed now, offensive line coach Mike Devlin said last week. Who knows whether Winters would have won the job for Week 1 if not for that ankle injury?

The Jets had high hopes for Ducasse when they drafted him in the second round in 2010. But as he made a rocky-at-times transition from tackle to guard, he wasn’t able to crack the starting lineup until this season, when the Jets were looking to replace Matt Slauson, their starter at left guard from 2010-12.

Ducasse, who is in the final season of his initial contract, finally got a chance to start in this year’s first four games, and on a whole, it wasn’t pretty. He had four penalties in Week 3 against the Bills (two false starts, a face mask and a holding). He had two in the Week 4 loss at Tennessee (a false start and a holding call that was declined).

He had no penalties in the first two games, but his six for the season are tied for the NFL lead. His three false start penalties also are tied for the league lead.

“You false start, you’re not looking too good in the eyes of the rest of us,” center Nick Mangold said, speaking generally about the offensive line’s attitude regarding false start penalties, which are mostly preventable.

According to ProFootballFocus.com, Ducasse allowed a sack in each of the first two games, and none in the past two. But he did allow one quarterback hit in each of the past two games and has allowed four total quarterback hits. He has allowed 10 quarterback hurries, including three against the Bills and six against the Titans.

“I don’t think there was nothing technique-wise,” Ducasse said of the Tennessee game. “They just were bringing pressure on my side. I was just doing my job to the best of my ability, but pressure is pressure.”

Ducasse is usually an upbeat, smiling guy, and he did spend a few minutes politely fielding questions Wednesday about his benching. But he wasn’t pleased about the whole situation, which is understandable.

“I don’t have any thoughts about it, really,” he said when asked about Winters getting first-team reps in practice. “He’s getting first-team reps, I guess. I’m not going to say I’m happy.”

Ducasse couldn’t explain his penalty issues, but said he believes he hadn’t played all that bad overall.

“I don’t have a clue what’s going wrong,” he said of the penalties. “Penalties are penalties. That’s one thing I can’t really explain. They’re just penalties. Just something I have to clean up. I think I’ve been doing a pretty solid job (overall) compared to where I was before.”

Does he expect Winters to start on Monday night, as many observers expect?

“Honestly, I don’t have a clue,” he told reporters. “I guess you guys will find out when I find out.”

Based on the way right guard Willie Colon talked Wednesday, Winters starting on Monday is a foregone conclusion.

“He’s a physical guy,” Colon said of Winters. “He’s athletic. Right now, it’s just getting his feet wet. This is going to be his first live, real game, so it’s going to be interesting. Anybody’s first game, I don’t care who you are, it’s going to be difficult just because of the game speed. It takes a guy at least a game or two for his mind to adjust to game speed. He’ll be fine.”

Colon has tried to encourage Ducasse this season, but he could tell Ducasse was quite discouraged by the demotion.

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“I think for him, he feels like he didn’t deserve it (to be benched),” Colon said. “Any player, you get benched, it sucks. I know he took pride in what he did. I know he probably feels like, yeah, he could have did better at things. To him, he feels like it wasn’t time for him to take the bench, and I think he’s a little hurt by it. But it’s the business.”

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David Nelson joins threadbare Jets receiving corps, looking to contribute immediately (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger October 2, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/10/david_nelson_joins_threadbare_jets_receiving_corps_looking_to_contribute_immediately.html

As David Nelson was readying to attend the Texas Rangers' game Monday night in Arlington, Texas, he got a call from his agent. After an impressive workout with the Jets last week in Florham Park, the team was going to sign the wide receiver.

"You'll be playing next Monday night," Nelson recalls his agent saying.

The call set in motion a frenzied 48 hours for Nelson, who spent the first three years of his career with the Buffalo Bills and training camp this season with the Cleveland Browns. Nelson joins the Jets with a certainty there is playing time available -- Santonio Holmes and Stephen Hill, the Jets' starting receivers, were hurt last Sunday in Nashville. It is unknown if either will play Monday in Atlanta.

"It’s an opportunity to come in and really make my mark early," Nelson said.

As Nelson crams to learn the terminology of the Jets' playbook, he must also learn the names of new teammates. After the Browns cut him during the preseason, Nelson said he trained extensively and feels stronger than he did a month ago. Harnessing the "mental aspect" is therefore his focus this week.

The learning curve must proceed quickly because the Jets could use his help Monday night. Rex Ryan said his starting wide receivers against the Falcons will likely be Clyde Gates and Jeremy Kerley, even joking the Jets might install a Wishbone formation if his two starters can't play.

Nelson, Ryan said, will get the opportunity in practice this week to earn snaps, perhaps even in a starting role. "That would be crazy, wouldn’t it?" Nelson said.

Nelson said he spent hours at the Jets' headquarters Tuesday working with Sanjay Lal, the receivers coach. After being introduced to Geno Smith, the two watched film of the Falcons together in an effort to create the intuitive understanding important for a quarterback and receiver.

Playing outside but predominantly in the slot position, Nelson had 61 catches and five touchdowns in 2011, an indication of what he could offer the Jets. In the opening game of the 2012 season, running an out-route on the MetLife Stadium turf, Nelson tore an anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. He has not played since in a regular-season game.

Nelson said he sometimes worried about the injury during training camp, but those concerns have dissolved.

In recovery from such a serious injury, "the last step, they say, is the mental hurdle," Nelson said. "Today I didn’t think about it."

He will return to the field on Monday, regardless of the capacity, for his first game in a Jets uniform and the first primetime game of his NFL career. It is a moment -- playing on Monday Night Football -- Nelson

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said he has dreamed of since he was four years old. And certainly over the four weeks he watched football as he was unemployed, too.

"Sitting on the couches is never fun," Nelson said.

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Jets' Geno Smith attempts to gain comfort, limit turnovers in trial-and-error life of rookie quarterback (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger October 2, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/10/jets_geno_smith_attempts_to_gain_comfort_limit_turnovers_in_trial-and-error_life_of_rookie_quarterba.html

A large part of starting a rookie quarterback is trial and error, with the willingness to accept error aplenty, as the player gets comfortable with the offensive system and – even more importantly – with the precision required to perform in the NFL.

Wednesday began for the Jets with coach Rex Ryan saying before practice that he was considering giving Geno Smith a color-coded wristband like Mark Sanchez wore as a rookie in 2009. The green-yellow-red wristband indicates to the quarterback how aggressive he should be on each play – with green signifying most aggressive and red meaning most passive.

Wednesday ended with Ryan saying on ESPN Radio that he decided against using the wristband. The experiment didn’t seem to gain much traction, because Smith said in the locker room after practice that Ryan hadn’t even talked to him about a wristband. Smith hasn’t worn a traditional play-call wristband at all in the first four games because “we don’t really do that in this offense,” he said of Marty Mornhinweg’s West Coast system.

In between’s Ryan’s divergent thoughts about a wrist attire, there were more trials for Smith, who is still grasping for comfort in this league. He has 11 turnovers, including eight interceptions, with four turnovers (two picks) in Sunday’s loss at Tennessee.

At practice, Smith participated in the defense’s circuit of turnover drills. He worked on running with the ball high and tight to his chest, with three points of pressure, as defenders tugged at it. He practiced keeping two hands on the ball in the pocket and stepping up to get rid of the ball quicker. Smith joined the turnover drill circuit after performing footwork drills to tire him out before defenders tried to force turnovers. This all marked “a little extra emphasis” in practice on Smith’s ball security, he said.

“That’s pretty much how it is in the game,” Smith said. “You’re a bit tired and you’ve been running around, and guys are stripping at it but you’ve got to hold onto it. It’s something we’re probably going to do more and more, just to ensure that we don’t have those turnovers again.”

No amount of practice drills can help wide receivers Santonio Holmes and Stephen Hill heal in time for Monday night’s game at Atlanta. Holmes, the Jets’ No. 1 receiver, injured his hamstring at Tennessee, where Hill suffered a concussion. If neither can play, the Jets’ top two receivers will be Jeremy Kerley and Clyde Gates, then undrafted rookie Ryan Spadola (zero catches) and Wednesday’s free agent acquisition, David Nelson.

Smith has found a reliable target in Holmes. He has 10 catches, leads the team with 243 receiving yards and “can make a play on any ball,” Smith said. Smith will not gain any more comfort form the possibility that Holmes could miss several games in the upcoming, challenging five-game stretch before the off week.

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“We’re thinking about putting the wishbone (offense) in,” Ryan joked about his lack of receivers for the Atlanta game, and the need to perhaps run the ball more.

Yet Smith might be able to feel good in Atlanta after all because the Falcons are giving up 301 passing yards per game, seventh-most in the league.

Either way, predictions are foolhardy in the trail-and-error life of a rookie quarterback. In Peyton Manning’s rookie year, 1998, he threw a rookie-record 28 interceptions (and also 26 touchdowns). Manning had 11 picks in his first four games, three more than Smith has now. Manning had three touchdowns in his first four games. Smith has four.

None of this is to posit that Smith will recover and throw his way into the Hall of Fame, as Manning did. Smith, who was 8 years old in 1998, said he didn’t know about Manning’s 11 picks in his first four games.

“I’m not trying to compare scenarios or his career to mine,” Smith said.

But after another day of trying to find comfort as a rookie quarterback, one of the most uncomfortable existences in sports, Smith could only process it all and try to progress.

“At this point in my career,” he said, “I’ve got to look at every single thing, good or bad, as a learning experience.”

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NEW YORK POST

Rex has no clue how to stop Jets’ turnover woes (Mark Cannizzaro) New York Post October 2, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/10/02/rex-has-no-clue-how-to-stop-jets-turnover-woes/

At 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jets head coach Rex Ryan said, in an effort to curb the rash of turnovers by his rookie quarterback Geno Smith, he was considering going to the red-yellow-green color-coded wristband he used with Mark Sanchez in his rookie year.

In a radio interview about three hours later, though, Ryan backtracked from that plan.

The fact Ryan was considering it gives you an idea of the gravity of the situation, with Smith’s 11 turnovers in four games killing the team. And the fact he backed off of the idea three hours after volunteering it to reporters gives you an idea of how clueless Ryan and his coaching staff are about how to fix the problem.

“Clearly, turning the football over has been a real problem — not just this season but the last couple of seasons,’’ Ryan said of his team’s minus-10 turnover ratio, which is second-worst in the NFL behind only the 0-4 Steelers. “We all know what that leads to.’’

Too many gifts for opponents and too many unnecessary losses for the Jets.

Smith keeps saying all the right things, and good for him.

He has taken ownership of his mistakes, which is a good sign of character.

He has acknowledged his significant role in hurting the team, which could (should?) be at least 3-1 and possibly even 4-0 instead of 2-2 if not for his litany of turnovers.

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And in perhaps his most admirable move of all, Smith even apologized to his defensive teammates for the mess he made in Sunday’s loss to the Titans, who scored 28 of their 38 points in a 38-13 win off of his four turnovers.

But four games into this season and his NFL career, it is time for Smith to act on his own earnest words and stop giving the ball to the other guys. He says all the right things. Now he needs to do more of the right things.

If Smith turns the ball over on Monday night in Atlanta as often as he did Sunday in Tennessee, the Falcons, who have arguably the best collection of offensive skill position players in the league, will feast on the Jets like they would Thanksgiving dinner on an empty stomach.

Smith has turned the ball over 11 times with eight interceptions and three lost fumbles. That puts him on pace to turn the ball over 43 times if he lasts all 16 games this season — almost as many turnovers as the 52 Mark Sanchez committed in the last two seasons combined.

Jets coaches spent a good part of Wednesday’s practice working Smith into some special drills designed to help ball security in an effort to better simulate game conditions.

“They had me in the running backs turnover circuit with the ball high and tight with three points of pressure and taking care of the ball, and had guys ripping at it,’’ Smith said. “[Quarterbacks coach David] Lee did a good job of getting us tired at first by doing footwork drills and then we had guys tugging at the ball to see how you would hold it.

“That’s pretty much how it is in the game — you’re a bit tired, you’re running around and guys are stripping at it and you’ve got to hold onto it. At this point anything that we can do to negate turnovers and negate penalties, we’re taking action.’’

If you are thinking this all sounds a lot like 2009, you are spot on.

The Jets are ranked No. 2 in the NFL in total defense and they have the AFC’s co-leading rusher in Bilal Powell. The only thing holding them back from winning more are the growing pains of a turnover-prone rookie quarterback whom the coaches are desperately trying to reel in to “manage’’ the game better.

Does that sound familiar?

Much the way the Jets endured “good Mark’’ and “bad Mark’’ moments in Sanchez’s rookie season in 2009, they are living (and dying) with “good Geno’’ and “bad Geno’’ now.

The Jets survived Sanchez’s rookie-year growing pains to sneak into the playoffs and then get hot enough to make it to the AFC Championship Game.

Will they be fortunate enough to do that again this year with Smith?

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Two of Jets top wideouts likely out (Zach Braziller) New York Post October 2, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/10/02/two-of-jets-top-wideouts-likely-out/

Rex Ryan was joking when he said the Jets might run the Wishbone Monday night in Atlanta against the Falcons, with his team’s options at wide receiver so thin. The state of Gang Green’s receiving corps is no laughing matter, however.

In fact, it’s scary.

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The Jets could be without two of their top three receivers, a season-long issue a year ago that limited the passing attack, and the group hasn’t exactly been striking fear into opposing secondaries in the first place this season.

Neither Santonio Holmes (hamstring) nor Stephen Hill (concussion) were present during the portion of practice the media was allowed to attend on Wednesday. A source told The Post Holmes will be out against the Falcons and Smith is unlikely to play as well, though Ryan said “it’s up in the air right now.”

The injuries are reminiscent of last year’s struggles through the air, when Holmes missed all but four games with a Lisfranc foot injury and a sprained right knee cost Hill five games. Hill, the Jets’ lone deep threat, and Holmes have combined for 23 of the unit’s 39 receptions, 476 of its 702 yards, and its only two touchdowns.

“Boy, I hope not. I hope it’s not that way,” Ryan said, referring to last season’s troubles at wide receiver. “But certainly, I’d say it’s a concern when your top guys [are] out.”

If neither can go, the Jets may have to sign another receiver — Tuesday they inked former Bills wideout David Nelson — or activate Michael Campbell from the practice squad, otherwise they will enter the Atlanta game with just four wideouts.

That will leave turnover-prone rookie quarterback Geno Smith with one legitimate option out wide in third-year pro Jeremy Kerley. With Hill knocked out early and Holmes clearly limited against the Titans on Sunday, Smith struggled mightily while throwing two interceptions.

Smith expressed optimism in the team’s healthy receivers, and said it could open up more chances for tight ends Kellen Winslow Jr. and Jeff Cumberland.

“We still have guys who can step up and make plays,” Smith said. “Whoever is in there will be expected to carry their load.”

Clyde Gates, who has had as much trouble getting open as he does holding onto the ball, likely will start alongside Kerley, and Nelson could be elevated into the third spot, ahead of rookie Ryan Spadola, who has yet to catch a pass.

“We’ll see what the new guy can do,” Ryan said, referring to the 6-foot-5 Nelson — who caught 61 passes for 658 yards and five touchdowns in 2011, but appeared in just one game for Buffalo last year after tearing his right ACL in Week 1, ironically against the Jets. The Bills later released him and he was cut by the Browns on Aug. 31. Nelson landed in New Jersey Tuesday night and went over the playbook for 4-5 hours with wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal.

“This is a unique situation where two starters are down and so it’s an opportunity for me to make a mark early,” Nelson said. “I feel like this offense really fits my style of play.”

Additional reporting by Brian Costello

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Back from ban, Goodson says he’s good to go (Brian Costello) New York Post October 2, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/10/02/back-from-ban-goodson-says-hes-good-to-go/

Jets running back Mike Goodson was back on the field with his teammates Wednesday after serving his four-game suspension.

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It was the first practice Goodson has participated in this season, and he said he is ready to play Monday night in Atlanta.

“It just felt good to get out there and run, you know what I mean? I felt good,” Goodson said. “I’m in shape. I was pretty nervous about that. It’s pretty hard to simulate an NFL practice, but I felt good out there. I wasn’t gassed. I’m pretty good on my playbook. I knew my plays.”

Goodson’s suspension came following his arrest in May on drug and gun charges that Goodson still faces. He missed all of training camp for “personal reasons” and then was suspended by the NFL when he returned to the team.

He has been able to work out at the team’s training center and attend meetings, but he was unable to practice before Wednesday. Goodson, who was signed by the Jets in March, said he can’t wait for Monday.

“It means everything,” Goodson said. “It means a lot. I’ve put a lot into these last couple of months, these last four weeks. I’ve had a lot of time to think and get things together. I’m excited about it.”

Goodson is still not officially on the 53-man roster. The Jets can wait until the end of the week to move him to the roster for the game. He is currently listed as active-exempt. Coach Rex Ryan said he is unsure how much Goodson will play Monday night.

“We’ll see as the week goes on,” Ryan said. “Clearly he hasn’t done any football work. So we’ll see where he’s at conditioning-[wise] and everything else.”

**

Ryan confirmed rookie Brian Winters will receive first-team reps this week at left guard. He did not say Winters will start the game Monday instead of Vlad Ducasse, but two sources said that is the plan.

Ducasse started off strong this season but faded in the last two games. He had a terrible game in Tennessee with two penalties and a few blown assignments that led to pressure on quarterback Geno Smith.

But Ducasse defended the job he did.

“I think I’ve been doing a pretty solid job compared to where I was before. I thought I stepped up,” Ducasse said. “Because of how I stepped up I gained confidence from it.”

As far as losing the first-team reps, Ducasse said, “I’m not going to say I’m happy.”

**

Titans S Michael Griffin was fined $21,000 by the NFL for his hit on Jets WR Stephen Hill, Griffin told reporters in Nashville. … Titans QB Jake Locker said he thought the hit he was injured on from Jets DL Muhammad Wilkerson and Quinton Coples was clean. “I didn’t feel like that on the field and after watching it, you know, it wasn’t anything malicious,” he told reporters in Tennessee. “I kind of got bounced into the second guy. I didn’t feel like they were out to get me, no.” There was no word on whether the NFL fined the Jets players … WR Santonio Holmes (hamstring), Hill (concussion), CB Dee Milliner (hamstring) and RB Chris Ivory (hamstring) were not practicing during the period of time the media was permitted to watch. The Jets do not have to provide an injury report until Thursday.

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Geno Smith focuses on keeping the ball (Brian Costello) New York Post October 2, 2013

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http://nypost.com/2013/10/02/geno-smith-focuses-on-keeping-the-ball/

It was hard for Geno Smith to get comfortable at Jets practice Wednesday. The coaches made sure of it.

Three days after turning the ball over four times against the Titans, the Jets rookie quarterback had his arm tugged on, with people trying to knock the football from his hands, worked out with the running backs and was asked to hold onto the ball after being worn out by drills.

The Jets are trying to come up with everything they can to cut out the turnovers that have plagued Smith, who has 11 this season, tied for the NFL-high with Eli Manning.

“Today we just emphasized the turnovers more — running with the ball high and tight,” Smith said. “I had a guy tugging at it and just keeping two hands on the ball aggressively in the pocket, stepping up in the pocket and getting the ball out faster. That’s always been an emphasis for us, but today we put a little extra emphasis on it.”

Earlier in the day, coach Rex Ryan suggested the Jets might bring back the color-coded wristband they used with Mark Sanchez during his rookie season in 2009. But Ryan backtracked from the idea during a radio appearance a few hours later.

The Jets seem puzzled as to how to get Smith to stop turning the ball over. When they drafted Smith in the second round of the draft, they touted the way he rarely threw interceptions. He had 21 in four years at West Virginia, including just six as a senior. Smith already has eight picks this year to along with three fumbles. He could top 21 by Halloween.

“There’s no question you want to be aggressive, but you don’t want to do something to the detriment of your football team,” Ryan said. “Clearly turning the football over has been a real problem. Not just this season, but the last couple [of] seasons as well.”

Smith seems to be struggling in all areas when it comes to turnovers. He made a poor read on his first interception Sunday, missing an open Santonio Holmes to go to Stephen Hill and then compounded the problem with a bad throw. On his second interception, he stared Holmes down and threw into tight coverage. His first fumble was caused by him carrying the ball with one hand and the second came when he tried to transfer the ball behind his back while under pressure.

“I go out there and my job is to manage the game and the situations,” Smith said. “A part of that is not forcing the ball and not putting us in harm’s way, not putting us in jeopardy. I’m just going out there and focusing on what I need to do. I know our defense is going to prepare and going to go out there and fight hard. I know we’re going to go out there on offense and score points.”

Veteran center Nick Mangold said he has spent time with Smith, trying to help him understand where he could face pressure and where possible problems could pop up.

“Just making sure he knows where he’s protected, how he’s protected, where his problems are in the protection, what could arise,” Mangold said. “Once we get through that in the week and once we get to a game, rely on your prep and the plan that is put forward by the coaches and usually one or two things are going to come up during a game that you kind of have to get sorted out but really once you’re into the game, you’re in it and you just have to make sure it’s clean.”

Smith spent part of Wednesday’s practice working with the running backs, and then quarterbacks coach David Lee wore him down with drills before he was challenged to hold onto the football.

“Today they had me in the running backs turnover circuit with the ball high and tight with three points of pressure and taking care of the ball, had guys ripping at it. We did a bunch of that,” Smith said. “D-Lee did a good job of getting us tired at first by doing footwork drills and then we had guys tugging at the

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ball to see how you would hold it. That’s pretty much how it is in the game. You’re a bit tired, you’re running around and guys are stripping at it and you’ve got to hold onto it.”

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Jets considering Sanchez color-coded system for Geno (Zach Braziller) New York Post October 2, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/10/02/jets-considering-sanchez-color-coded-system-for-geno/

The Jets may go back to the future to help Geno Smith with his turnover problems.

Head coach Rex Ryan said during his Wednesday press conference he is considering revisiting the red/yellow/green traffic-light coding system — which he used during Mark Sanchez’s rookie season in 2009 — to identify risk/reward on play calls within a game.

In 2009, “red” signified being cautious, “green” allowed Sanchez to be aggressive and “yellow” was in between.

Smith committed four turnovers in Sunday’s ugly 38-13 loss in Tennessee to the Titans, and has 11 turnovers through four games, on an astronomical pace for 44. The Jets have the second-worst turnover differential in the NFL, ahead of only the winless Steelers.

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Ryan said. “It’s a fine line. We want to be aggressive, there’s no question, you want to be aggressive, but you don’t want to do something to the detriment of your football team. Clearly, turning the football over has been a real problem, not just this season, but the last couple of seasons. And we know what that leads to.”

Smith is expected to have limited options at wide receiver. Santonio Holmes (hamstring) and Stephen Hill (concussion) are unlikely to play. The Jets signed former Bills receiver David Nelson, and Ryan said Nelson could see action behind Jeremy Kerley and Clyde Gates.

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Geno Smith can't act like rookie when NY Jets face Falcons (Seth Walder) New York Daily News October 3, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/geno-green-falcons-article-1.1474781

The Jets don’t just need Geno Smith to step up on Monday night, they need him to make a quantum leap.

Smith, coming off a horrific performance in the Jets’ 38-13 loss to the Titans, has to not only overcome the challenge of matching a potentially explosive Falcons offense, but he’ll have to do it with a depleted receiving corps.

One of the main problems that the Jets faced in 2012 was not having enough weapons for Mark Sanchez. With Santonio Holmes (hamstring) likely out for Monday’s game and quite possibly longer, it’s a situation that is now staring Smith in the face. The rookie quarterback said Wednesday that when Holmes is on the field, it affords him some breathing room when making throws.

“Tone’s a smart receiver. He’s very crafty; he knows how to get in and out of cuts,” Smith said. “He can make a play on any ball. If you put it around him. He’s going to technically come down with the catch. So

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it’s good to have a guy like Tone. He works extremely hard. It’s tough to see him hurt right now because I know how much it means to him.”

Without Holmes on the field, Smith won’t have that veteran to rely upon. Stephen Hill (concussion) could be out as well. Should that be the case, Smith would be left with Jeremy Kerley and Clyde Gates as the starting wide receivers, Rex Ryan said.

“We’ve got to use the guys we have. We still have guys that can step up and make plays,” Smith said.

“Whoever’s in there is going to be expected to carry their load.”

Atlanta boasts the fourth-ranked offense in the league, and has three skill position players that are better than any the Jets have on their roster.

“What a collection of talent,” Ryan said of the Falcons offense, which includes Roddy White, Julio Jones and future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez.

And while that will be a headache for the defense — which did allow 38 points to Jake Locker, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Co. — it means Smith will likely have to put up big numbers if he wants to match Matt Ryan’s production. For Smith, it might feel a little like being back at West Virginia, when opposing offenses averaged 26.8 points per game against the Mountaineers.

Smith said he wouldn’t go into the game thinking he’d need to put up a huge point total.

“No, I go out there and my job is to manage the game and the situations, and part of that is not forcing the ball, not putting us in harm’s way, not putting us in jeopardy,” he said. “I’m just going out there and focusing on what I have to do.”

Ryan refused to place all of the emphasis on Smith, saying, “all of us have to step up,” but the reality is that Smith can’t have the turnover issues that he’s displayed in the opening stage of his professional career. That was an area of focus, unsurprisingly considering Smith’s four turnovers last Sunday, in practice on Wednesday.

“Today I think we just emphasized the turnovers more,” Smith said. “Running with the ball high and tight, I had a guy tugging at it. Just keeping two hands on the ball. Stepping up in the pocket and getting the ball out faster.”

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NY Jets WR David Nelson has lots to learn (Kevin Armstrong and Seth Walder) New York Daily News October 3, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-insider-wr-nelson-lots-learn-article-1.1474850

New Jets receiver David Nelson and rookie quarterback Geno Smith wasted no time getting on the same page at the team’s facility Wednesday.

Nelson, a four-year veteran, was signed to add depth to a depleted receiving corps that is expected to play without top wideout Santonio Holmes on Monday night in Atlanta. Nelson knows that he must adjust quickly to offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg’s playbook, and Smith offered a helping hand, taking the ex-Bill into a film room to go over the Falcons’ defensive looks.

“I take the student part of the game very seriously,” Nelson said. “I put it on myself to learn.”

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Nelson played with Buffalo the last three years, and tore his ACL in last season’s opener while facing the Jets. He was covered by Kyle Wilson on the play. He has spent the last two days absorbing the playbook, and insists he has no issues with his knee.

“I’ve got to take it an hour at a time,” Nelson said.

Holmes left last week’s loss with a hamstring injury, and he is not expected to play against the Falcons on Monday night in the Georgia Dome.

LYONS DEN

A banner emblazoned with the image of Marty Lyons was raised on a wall at the team’s indoor practice facility as the former Jet defensive lineman was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor on Wednesday. The Jets will honor Lyons on Oct. 13 when they take on the Steelers at MetLife Stadium.

“I tried to give everything I had as a player,” said Lyons, currently a Jets radio analyst. “In the community, I try to give even more.”

THE FINE PRINT

DL Mo Wilkerson has been fined approximately $15,000 and OLB Quinton Coples $7,875 for their hits on Jake Locker, which knocked the Titans QB out of last Sunday’s game, according to a source. Both players plan to appeal.

HILL IN DOUBT

The Jets may be without WR Stephen Hill in Atlanta, as well, as he continues to be evaluated in the wake of the concussion he suffered against the Titans. The league took action on safety Michael Griffin, who put the big hit on Hill. Griffin was fined $21,000 for his shoulder-to-helmet hit.

TAKE A SEAT

Cornerback Dee Milliner (hamstring) and tailback Chris Ivory (hamstring) did not practice.

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Colored-coded wristband a bad idea for Geno Smith, NY Jets (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News October 2, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-colored-coded-wristband-bad-idea-article-1.1474773

Rex Ryan’s frustration with Geno Smith’s litany of early season mistakes nearly prompted him to dust off a silly gimmick that would have done nothing but stunt the rookie quarterback’s development.

Ryan initially revealed Wednesday afternoon that he might institute a color-coded play-call system for Smith much like he did during Mark Sanchez’s rookie season. Sanchez wore a red-yellow-green wristband designed to limit his turnovers as a rookie.

The end game was simple: Make sure Sanchez acts like a game manager.

“Whatever it takes,” Ryan said during his daily press conference. “I’ve been thinking about it.”

More than three hours later, Ryan put the kibosh on that plan by giving himself a red card: “To be honest with you,” he said during his weekly appearance on ESPN radio, “I don’t plan on doing that now.”

Good move, Rex. The traffic-light approach would have done more harm than good for a young quarterback navigating through a rough stretch.

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Ryan is understandably irked by Smith’s 11 turnovers, but it would have been a gross miscalculation to subject the rookie to the motley method: There’s no pot of gold at the end of that rainbow.

Forget about a multi-color wristband system that would have put more hesitation and doubt in Smith’s mind. The Jets must make sure that he plays smarter without losing the aggressiveness that made him so intriguing to them in the first place.

It’s a mistake to try to make Smith a game manager at a time when the Jets’ brain trust needs to properly evaluate him to determine whether he has a chance to be a franchise quarterback.

The Jets shouldn’t be so myopic to turn Smith, a gunslinger at West Virginia, into a conservative caretaker. General manager John Idzik didn’t select Smith in the second round to be Christian Ponder, who has spent the better part of his career perfecting the art of the handoff.

Smith needs to cultivate his aggressive mind-set and learn to take calculated risks.

“If you think you have it, make the throw,” Smith said about keeping an attacking mind-set. “Don’t look back on it. Don’t second guess it. Because that’s when you get in trouble.”

Ryan has been scarred by turnover-prone quarterback play the past couple years. Jets signal callers have committed 63 turnovers in the last 36 games.

Smith’s miscues are obviously disconcerting, but the Jets shouldn’t flood him with so much worry that he loses his attacking mentality. Smith’s arm is his greatest asset. Let him use it.

Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg is smart enough to understand that you win by passing the football in today’s NFL. (The Jets are tied for fifth in the league with 17 completions of at least 20 yards).

The Lombardi Sweep isn’t going to win you any Lombardi Trophies anymore.

Smith must walk the fine line between aggressiveness and recklessness. He shouldn’t be afraid of going for it at opportune moments. It’ll be up to Mornhinweg to find a happy medium.

Ryan wanted a more aggressive, attacking offense after the Jets’ unimaginative approach last season led to predictably poor results. We’ll find out how committed he truly is to this new mind-set in the coming weeks.

“We want to be aggressive,” Ryan said. “But you don’t want to do something to the detriment of your football team. Clearly turning the football over has been a real problem, not just this season, but the last couple seasons as well. We all know what that leads to.”

He’ll be tempted to take a more conservative offensive approach. Smith has started his NFL career with four consecutive multi-turnover games with a completion percentage (57.4) and passer rating (68.6) near the bottom of the league. His indecisiveness in the pocket at times has led to a sack every 9.3 pass plays (27th in the league).

But the Jets don’t have the personnel to lean on Ryan’s run-first, defense-reliant formula that worked during Sanchez’s rookie season.

With a depleted wide receiving corps, the Jets must reconfigure the aerial plan to include expanded roles for tight ends Kellen Winslow and Jeff Cumberland and running back Mike Goodson.

It’s easy to overreact to Smith’s four-turnover meltdown against the Titans last Sunday. The Jets placed “extra emphasis” on Smith’s ball security with teammates swiping at it in practice on Wednesday, the rookie said. His two fumbles in Tennessee are easily correctable. I doubt that Smith will be channeling his inner Curly Neal again anytime soon.

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The two-part solution to his early season woes isn’t overly complicated. Don’t take unnecessary risks and don’t overanalyze every mistake.

It’s black-and-white.

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NEW YORK TIMES

A Yellow Light for the Jets, but No Color-Coded System (Zach Schonbrun) New York Times October 2, 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/sports/football/a-yellow-light-for-the-jets-but-no-color-coded-system.html?ref=football&_r=0

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — At his 2 p.m. news conference Wednesday, Jets Coach Rex Ryan, perhaps thinking aloud, floated the idea of asking the rookie quarterback Geno Smith to wear a color-coded wristband Monday night against Atlanta.

It would be a teaching aide to ease Smith’s decision-making burden, with plays coded as red (conservative), yellow (use caution) and green (aggressive). It is a Ryan original but not a first — he did the same thing with Mark Sanchez in 2009, his rookie season.

But if the idea sounded overly simplistic, Ryan might have felt so, too. He rejected the idea several hours later, in his weekly appearance on ESPN Radio New York.

Did Ryan see something from Smith in practice Wednesday, without wristwear, that demonstrated better awareness? That could be. Or his flip-flop might underscore the tight-wire act he has to tread to avoid trampling Smith’s confidence.

At his news conference, Ryan referred multiple times to the “fine line” between maintaining aggressiveness and stumbling toward carelessness.

“We want to be aggressive, there’s no question,” Ryan said. “But you don’t want to do something to the detriment of the football team.”

Ryan first introduced the color-coded wristband for Sanchez in late November 2009, after he had thrown 17 interceptions in his first 11 games. With the aide, Sanchez did not throw a pass that was intercepted in three of his final four games of the regular season.

Smith, who is tied for the N.F.L. lead with 11 turnovers, said he had not discussed the wristband with Ryan but did not sound opposed to the idea.

“If it helps the team, if it helps me get better, then I’m all for it,” Smith said.

Thus far, Ryan has stuck by Smith, but his four-turnover performance in Sunday’s 38-13 loss at Tennessee tested Ryan’s patience. Giveaways by Sanchez and Smith have hampered the Jets the past two seasons.

“Clearly we have some things that we have to fix,” Ryan said. “And protecting the football is the No. 1 thing, alongside penalties.”

In practice Wednesday, Smith participated in a circuit of drills with the running backs in which defenders tried to strip the ball. He described his performance against the Titans as frustrating but added that he understood there would be growing pains.

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“At this point in my career,” Smith said, “I’ve got to look at everything, good or bad, as a learning experience.”

Adding to the concern, Smith may be without his top two receivers, Santonio Holmes and Stephen Hill, both of whom did not practice Wednesday. Holmes (hamstring) could miss several weeks, and the status of Hill, who sustained a concussion, is unclear.

The Jets signed the veteran wideout David Nelson, who was cut by Cleveland in August, and he practiced for the first time Wednesday. He could be joining Jeremy Kerley, Clyde Gates and Ryan Spadola as the only active receivers for Monday’s game.

It is an all-too familiar reminder of the attrition the team went through last season because of injuries to their receiving corps.

And Ryan desperately does not want a repeat of the turnover-plagued year that resulted.

EXTRA POINTs

Coach Rex Ryan said that the backup guard Brian Winters would receive more playing time with the first team this week, replacing Vlad Ducasse, who has struggled. “We’ll see how that goes,” Ryan said.

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WALL STREET JOURNAL

Gang Green May Try New Set of Colors (Dave Caldwell) Wall Street Journal October 2, 2013

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304906704579111881959985624.html?mod=WSJ_NY_Sports_LEFTTopStories

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.—Six questions into his news conference Wednesday, Jets coach Rex Ryan said the team was thinking about putting in the good ol' wishbone formation for its upcoming Monday night matchup in Atlanta—a game the Jets appear to have little chance of winning.

Rex was kidding! But his concern about offensive production was no joke.

The topic was the Jets' injury-depleted receiving corps, which could be missing Santonio Holmes for an indeterminate time because of a hamstring injury, and Stephen Hill because of a concussion. Ryan was asked if rookie quarterback Geno Smith, who struggled mightily in the Jets' loss to Tennessee last week, would need to step it up.

"Really all of us need to step up," he said after the wishbone quip. "Any time you're down a couple of players, especially in one area, it'd be on everyone to step up."

A couple of minutes later, Ryan said something else about Smith, and this wasn't as funny. He said he was "thinking about" employing the color-coded wristband similar to the one Mark Sanchez wore as a rookie in 2009. There were three colors, like a traffic light: Red, for plays in which Sanchez should take no chances; yellow, for plays in which he needed to use caution; and green, for plays in which he was free to floor it.

The wristband made its debut in the 11th game of that season, a 17-6 Jets' victory over Carolina that snapped a three-game losing streak. The Jets won four of their last five regular-season games and two playoff games, so Ryan looked shrewd for going with the band.

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Smith said Wednesday that Ryan has yet to talk to him about a color-coded wristband of his own, but he seemed to know that it represented the idea of better protecting the ball. He's thrown eight interceptions in four games and lost two fumbles in Sunday's 38-13 loss to the Titans Tennessee, including one in which he tried to transfer the ball from his right hand to his left—behind his back—as a Titans' defender closed on him near the goal line. Smith bounced the ball off his rear end, giving a touchdown to Tennessee.

"If it helps the team, if it's something that the coaches decide that it's something that is going to make us better as an offense and make me better as a quarterback, then I'm all for it," Smith said.

"Kind of a fine line...about being aggressive yet being smart with it as well," Ryan said.

Smith then went out to practice. After the Jets ran a drill where defensive players tried to rip the ball out of his hands, he said he made sure to do a better job holding onto the ball with two hands, especially as he got tired.

Smith apologized to members of the Jets' defense after Sunday's loss, saying he'd put them in the unfortunate position of trying to stop the Titans continually on a short field. He also pledged to them that he would "clean up" his mistakes.

"You do appreciate guys stepping up. That's a big step," said center Nick Mangold. But at the same time, you've got to work on it."

All the color-coded wristbands in the world, unless they were coated with Krazy Glue, probably would not have prevented that weird fumble. But the Jets have become the NFL's second-worst team in turnover differential at minus-10. (Winless Pittsburgh is last, at minus-11.)

"If there's the biggest thing, the determining factor," Ryan said, "it would be your plus-minus turnover ratio, and right now, we've got to be the worst in the league. If not, second-worst."

Correct. Green light to the next question.

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ESPN NEW YORK

Rex Ryan: No color-coded system (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York October 2, 2013

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/9759761/new-york-jets-bring-back-wristband-help-geno-smith

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The color-coded quarterback wristband won't be making a comeback with the New York Jets, after all.

Three hours after suggesting he might dust off the infamous "red-green-yellow" system he used with Mark Sanchez in 2009, coach Rex Ryan decided Wednesday to red-light the idea, hoping to fix turnover-prone rookie Geno Smith with more conventional measures.

Ryan's flip flop shows he's scrambling for solutions.

"It's a young season -- we're at the quarter stage -- but we clearly have some things we have to fix," Ryan said. "Protecting the football is the No. 1 thing, along with penalties."

Ryan's patience is wearing thin as Smith's giveaways continue to mount. He's coming off his worst game -- a four-turnover nightmare in the Jets' 38-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

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Smith's turnover total has ballooned to 11, including eight interceptions. He's tied with the New York Giants' Eli Manning for the league lead in turnovers.

At his daily news conference, Ryan mentioned the possibility of recycling the remedial system he first used in the 11th game of the 2009 season. That year, Ryan made Sanchez wear a green-red-yellow wristband with specific plays in each color category, a system devised to help the quarterback know how aggressive (green) or conservative (red) he should be with a particular pass play.

"Hey, whatever it takes," Ryan said, adding: "I've been thinking about it. There's a fine line between being aggressive and being smart with it as well."

Ryan said he'd see how the week progressed before making a final decision, but he didn't need long to figure he didn't want to go there. After practice, he told ESPN 98.7 FM he decided not go back to the color system.

Maybe he didn't want to clutter Smith's head with extra information. Or maybe Ryan didn't want to expose his impressionable quarterback to the scrutiny that most certainly would come from doing something associated with Sanchez's growing pains as a rookie.

It means Smith won't be wearing a wristband that resembles a Lifesaver candy wrapper when he faces the Atlanta Falcons (1-3) on Monday night at the Georgia Dome.

On Wednesday, Smith practiced ball security by participating in running back drills. He was instructed to hold the ball high and tight, focusing on the three points of pressure. He ran through a gauntlet of would-be tacklers, players grabbing at the ball.

This occurred after the taxing quarterback footwork drill. The idea, of course, was to learn how to protect the ball while fatigued.

"It's something that we're probably going to do more and more, just to assure that we don't have those turnovers again," Smith said.

Against the Titans, Smith lost two fumbles because of reckless ballhandling. The latter occurred on what is now known as the Behind-the-Butt Fumble, a play in which he tried to switch hands behind his back while being sacked at his goal line. The fumble was recovered for a Tennessee touchdown.

Ryan said he's not considering a change at quarterback, but his patience is being tested by Smith, who could be hurt by a handful of changes on offense.

Wide receiver Santonio Holmes is expected to miss multiple games with a serious hamstring injury, a source said. Fellow receiver Stephen Hill is a long shot this week because of a concussion. Titans safety Michael Griffin who delivered the hit to Hill last Sunday, said Wednesday that he has been fined $21,000 by the NFL but will appeal as he maintains he led with his shoulder and not his helmet.

The Jets could end up starting Jeremy Kerley and Clyde Gates. David Nelson, signed Tuesday, probably will see action in the game.

"I'd say it's a concern when your top guys are out," Ryan said. "Obviously, that doesn't help you, for sure."

There also will be a change in the offensive line. Rookie Brian Winters, a third-round pick, will replace veteran Vladimir Ducasse. Ryan confirmed that Winters will practice this week with the starters.

With a banged-up receiving corps, Ryan joked that he might use the Wishbone against the Falcons.

"That would be something, wouldn't it?" he said. "Maybe we should."

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ESPN.com Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky contributed to this report.

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Holmes out weeks; Jets add WR (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York October 2, 2013

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/9754250/new-york-jets-hurting-wr-add-david-nelson

New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes will miss multiple games because his hamstring injury is worse than initially thought, according to a league source.

The Jets haven't revealed a prognosis, but the fear is that he could miss up to a month. Stephen Hill (concussion) also is expected to sit out next Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons, meaning the Jets will be down their starting wideouts.

As a result, the Jets signed veteran free agent David Nelson on Tuesday.

The Jets will go into Atlanta with Jeremy Kerley and Clyde Gates as their top wideouts, with rookie Ryan Spadola in reserve.

Veteran Ben Obomanu, who played 40 snaps in Sunday's loss to the Tennessee Titans, was released Tuesday, opening a roster spot for Nelson. Obomanu, whose role increased because of the first-quarter injury to Hill, hurt his standing with three penalties (one declined).

Nelson, cut Aug. 31 by the Cleveland Browns, worked out for the Jets last week before the injuries hit. He played with the Buffalo Bills from 2010 to 2012, compiling 94 catches, 1,042 yards and eight touchdowns.

Holmes played in the first four games after making it back from a severe LisFranc foot injury that required two surgeries. In fact, Monday was the one-year anniversary of the injury.

The Jets are concerned about Holmes because of the way the injury occurred. He was eight yards into a pass route, away from the action, when he went down suddenly, clutching his right hamstring.

Because he missed the preseason, rehabbing his surgically repaired foot, Holmes still was working his way back into top shape, which could explain the injury.

Hill suffered his concussion on the second play of the game, when he was hit in the head by Titans safety Michael Griffin. There was no penalty on the play. A dazed Hill walked slowly to the sideline and was taken to the locker room for mandatory concussion tests. On Monday, coach Rex Ryan confirmed the diagnosis.

Nelson's pending addition to the Jets had been earlier reported by The New York Post.

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Wristband reveals Rex's true colors (Johnette Howard) ESPN New York October 2, 2013

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/9761301/new-york-jets-coach-rex-ryan-true-colors-revealed-wristband?ex_cid=espnapi_public

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- It has been noted for a while now that Jets coach Rex Ryan's XXXXL-sized personality has shrunk to a mere shadow of what it was before his Super Bowl guarantees fizzled and

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new general manager John Idzik came riding into town, refusing to extend Ryan's contract though it has just a season left beyond this one.

So it was a welcome blast from the past to see Old Rex stir a little Wednesday and tell reporters at the New York Jets' training facility that he was thinking of reviving the color-code system that he put Mark Sanchez on as a rookie in 2009, thinking that it may be a way to help Geno Smith, his current struggling rookie quarterback -- until Ryan went on the radio a few hours later and took the whole thing back, which he shouldn't have done.

It was as if New Rex is so torn between creating anything approaching a public relations brush fire, he doesn't know a good idea when he has one. Throwback Rex seems to scare Ryan.

And here's the shame of it: Until Ryan backpedaled on Michael Kay's show on ESPN New York's 98.7 FM, he actually seemed on the way to suggesting two very important things about himself that might bode well for Smith's future:

Maybe Ryan has learned a bit more about grooming young quarterbacks than he knew as a rookie coach in Sanchez's first year.

And he absolutely recognizes that he's the man sitting on the hottest hot seat in Florham Park right now, not Smith -- at least not yet -- no matter how much silly shouting there is outside the building that the 2-2 Jets should soon consider starting backup quarterback Matt Simms, who is even less proven than Smith.

So for a few hours, anyway, it was fun to ponder the possibilities and good history Ryan revived when -- thinking out loud at his mid-day news conference at the Jets' practice facility -- he said he was thinking of returning to the red-yellow-green wristband and color-coded word association system that he had Sanchez use in '09, after Sanchez's particularly brutal three-game stretch of 12 interceptions left the Jets on a three-game losing streak and a 4-6 record.

And why not try it?

Old Rex never met a gimmick he didn't like. Old Rex might've gone on to joke that the original color-coded wristband that cured Sanchez of being a turnover machine has been protected in a wall safe in his office, or pressed like some lucky four-leaf clover between the pages of an old Jets playbook, next to the page where the meaning of each color is explained. He would've added he'd already told Sanchez to talk up the whole concept to Smith, same as Ryan originally sold it to Sanchez as a way to get a grasp on game situations.

Ryan went so far as to tell Sanchez a color before each drive.

"Red" was code for don't you dare take a chance with the ball.

"Yellow" meant caution, danger lurks.

"Green" meant go on, take a shot if you think something's there.

"I call them Life Savers, like a pack of Life Savers," then-Jets tackle Damien Woody said in '09.

Sanchez could've taken it as a public humiliation. But he did not. The Jets won five of their last six after that.

At the time, Ryan allowed he probably could've helped Sanchez by trying the color-code system earlier than Week 11 but, "I'm rookie head coach, too, you know."

This time around, Ryan was talking about instituting the color code for Smith in just Week 5.

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"I've been thinking about it," Ryan admitted. "[It's] kind of a fine line. ... Being aggressive and yet being smart with [Smith] as well."

Whether Smith or the rest of this season's locker room would've taken to the idea is another thing. Back in '09, Sanchez seemed all in from the start, and not just after the Jets beat Carolina the first week, got on a hot streak, and snuck into the playoffs on the last Sunday of the season by beating the Cincinnati Bengals.

But even though the Jets roared all the way to the AFC title game, there are some asterisks. Then-Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer initially told reporters he was "stung" by Ryan's intrusion into his area of the team.

Current Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg is even more aggressive with his playing calling than Schottenheimer was.

Also, though Smith said with a smile Wednesday that he knew only a little about Ryan's color-code idea but was willing to try anything to improve himself or the team, what Smith didn't know when he spoke was that just across the room, when Jets offensive linemen D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold were asked how much the color coding helped Sanchez, they essentially said, "Eh."

Ferguson claimed he only vaguely remembered the ploy at all. Mangold said while he did remember Rex's "red-green-blue extravaganza," there was "a lot more" that went into the Jets' turnaround back then.

"We were running the ball really well too," Mangold said.

Don't be surprised if the Jets have the same emphasis this week while scaling back what they ask of Smith.

Smith will most likely be without both of his starting receivers, Santonio Holmes (hamstring) and Stephen Hill (concussion). Expect Ryan to tell Mornhinweg to revert more to the sort of clock-eating ground attack that he used the first week Sanchez was on the color-code system. The Jets ran the ball 39 times in that game and beat Carolina despite getting a modest 13-for-17 passing day for 154 yards from Sanchez. And they were on their way.

The Jets' defense -- which was very good then, same as now -- took care of the rest.

The Atlanta Falcons team the Jets will meet Monday night is better than that Carolina team. And Ryan definitely did invite getting lampooned for even mentioning his color-code system again Wednesday. But the '09 Rex wouldn't have backpedaled. He would've roared, "So what?"

Ryan is going to need his own life saver to survive this lame-duck season with his job.

He might as well try anything to help his kid quarterback -- and himself -- before this season irretrievably hit Code Red.

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Jets RB Mike Goodson: 'I'm a playmaker' (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York October 2, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/28340/jets-rb-mike-goodson-im-a-playmaker?ex_cid=espnapi_public

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Mike Goodson missed training camp and the first four weeks of the regular season, but he hopes to make his New York Jets debut Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons.

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"I feel like I'm a playmaker," the veteran running back said Wednesday after his first practice. "I have speed. Out there today, I felt pretty fast. That's what I'm going to hang my hat on."

Goodson, suspended four games for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy, was allowed to train at the team's facility during the suspension, but he wasn't permitted to work out or practice with the team.

Coach Rex Ryan was non-committal on whether Goodson would play, noting that he's not in football shape. Chances are, Goodson will have a small role, perhaps spot duty at running back and kickoff returner -- an area that could use a spark. With Chris Ivory still recovering from a hamstring injury, the Jets could use another pair of legs to help Bilal Powell in the backfield.

"I was excited to be out there today, so I can't imagine what it'll be like as we get closer to Monday night," he said.

This has been a difficult six months for Goodson. After signing as a free agent last March, he was arrested on drug and weapons charges. There was speculation he would be released, but the team stood by him. He didn't report to training camp as he reportedly received treatment for an apparent substance-abuse issue. The suspension was handed down at the end of the preseason.

"I've had a lot of time to think and get things together," he said. "I'm excited about [playing]."

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Jets' color-coded system may return (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York October 2, 2013

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/9759761/new-york-jets-bring-back-wristband-help-geno-smith?ex_cid=espnapi_public

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The color-coded quarterback wristband might be making a comeback with the New York Jets.

In an attempt to reduce Geno Smith's turnovers, coach Rex Ryan revealed Wednesday he may dust off an old trick he used in 2009 with Mark Sanchez.

That year, Ryan hatched the idea to have Sanchez wear a green-red-yellow wristband with specific plays in each color category, a system devised to help the quarterback know how aggressive (green) or conservative (red) he should be with a particular call.

"Hey, whatever it takes," Ryan said, adding: "I've been thinking about it. There's a fine line between being aggressive and being smart with it as well."

Ryan said he'll see how the week progresses before making a decision. The Jets (2-2) have an extra day of preparation, as they play Monday night at the Atlanta Falcons (1-3).

Smith is coming off his worst game -- a four-turnover nightmare in a 38-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans. The rookie's turnover total has ballooned to 11, including eight interceptions.

Ryan said he's not considering a change at quarterback, but his patience is being tested by Smith.

"It's a young season -- we're at the quarter stage -- but we clearly have some things we have to fix," Ryan said. "Protecting the football is the No. 1 thing, along with penalties."

There will be a handful of lineup changes on offense this week, which may hamper Smith's chances of a rebound.

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Wide receiver Santonio Holmes is expected to miss multiple games with a serious hamstring injury, a source said. Fellow receiver Stephen Hill is a long shot this week because of a concussion. The Jets could end up starting Jeremy Kerley and Clyde Gates.

There also will be a change in the offensive line. Rookie Brian Winters, a third-round pick, will replace veteran Vladimir Ducasse. Ryan confirmed that Winters will practice this week with the starters.

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ESPN

Jake Locker: Jets shouldn't be fined (Paul Kuharsky) ESPN.com October 2, 2013

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9760677/jake-locker-tennessee-titans-think-jets-players-fined?ex_cid=espnapi_public

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker, out with a sprained knee and hip, said he doesn't think the hits Sunday from New York Jets players Muhammad Wilkerson and Quinton Coples are worthy of fines.

Locker suffered the injuries on a third-quarter play where he threw an incomplete pass then got hit by Wilkerson and a bit later on the other side by Coples.

"I didn't feel like that on the field and after watching it, you know, it wasn't anything malicious, I didn't feel like," Locker said, speaking to the media for the first time since the injury sent him to the hospital. "I kind of got bounced into the second guy. I didn't feel like they were out to get me, no.

Coach Mike Munchak had called the hits unnecessary.

Locker said he doesn't know his timetable, and that early rehab is about getting the muscles "firing right again." He walked with a stiff-legged limp and worse a sleeve on his injured leg.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is the Titans starter until Locker returns, and Rusty Smith will be promoted from the practice squad to back him up.

Meanwhile, one fine from the Titans blowout of the Jets came to light.

Tennessee free safety Michael Griffin shared his letter from the NFL alerting him to a $21,000 fine for a hit he made on receiver Stephen Hill as Alterraun Verner intercepted a Geno Smith pass.

He said he will appeal and rated his chances at winning as "zero to slim." Hill suffered a concussion on the play.

"On a pass play you unnecessarily struck a defenseless player in the head and neck area," Griffin read from the letter. "But I'm trying to figure out if it's an interception, how's he a defenseless player?

"I didn't even hit him in the head or neck. You watch it or you slow-mo it, I hit him in his left shoulder."

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METRO NEW YORK

Jets defensive line has makings of second ‘Sack Exchange’ (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York October 2, 2013

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http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/nfl/2013/10/02/jets-defensive-line-has-makings-of-second-sack-exchange/

It could well be the second coming of the “New York Sack Exchange,” but the Jets defensive line isn’t ready to start talking boldly quite yet. It just wants to play that way.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there wasn’t a more-feared defensive front in the NFL than Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam. Now the Jets have another defensive front that is starting to become a feared unit with Muhammad Wilkerson, Quinton Coples and Sheldon Richardson forming the foundation.

They are young, fast and aggressive – just like the original “Sack Exchange.”

“We hope to be [as good as them]. We’re all young. We’re all young and talented and I hope we can play some ball for the next couple years together. We haven’t even scratched the surface, the sky is the limit for us. We just have to put in the hard work,” Wilkerson told Metro. “We can’t even compare ourselves to those guys. Those guys were unbelievable back then and it was different. At the end of the day, I’m aware of what those guys did and how high they set the bar and how we should want to work to be like them. It should make us want to be better.”

The cornerstone of this franchise might well be the defensive line, especially with all the question marks on the offensive side of the ball. Over the past three years, the Jets have invested three first-round picks along the defensive line. All three can get to the quarterback and all three are versatile players who can play inside or outside.

The trademark of the Jets under head coach Rex Ryan has always been the defense, but for much of his time here it has been a secondary that featured All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis in addition to Antonio Cromartie, arguably a Top-5 cornerback himself. Now, the defensive line could be the cornerstone of the Jets for years to come.

“We have some very talented guys we put some high picks into,” Ryan said last week. “Like I said, we have three first-round picks in a row in that defensive line and every one of them are hits. That bodes well for us moving forward.”

It is a young unit. Besides Wilkerson, Coples and Richardson, third-year nose tackle Kenrick Ellis was taken in the third round and Damon Harrison is in his second year as an undrafted rookie free agent who has stepped into a starting role this season.

Unlike the original “Sack Exchange,” this current version runs a three-man front which will generate less of a pass rush than a more traditional four-man front. But through four games, the Jets defense is tied for third in the league with 14 sacks.

Wilkerson already has three sacks while rookie Richardson has 1 1/2 sacks. The production from the end positions is a luxury for the defense as they can drop the linebackers into coverage more effectively instead of having to blitz to create a pass rush. The play of the line is also opening things up for Calvin Pace and Antwan Barnes to make plays behind the line from the linebacker position.

For a franchise very much reshaping its identity, it may have found it along the defensive front.

“I’m a rookie but we most definitely have the potential to be the face of the organization, repaying the faith they put in us. They went out and got us and now they’re getting production,” Richardson said. “Rex has told us about them, that the media is saying how we’re the ‘New Sack Exchange’ and this and that but he’s encouraged us to be humble and keep working at it. Make our own name.”

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Jets Notebook: David Nelson added to ailing receiving corps (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York October 2, 2013

http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/nfl/2013/10/02/jets-notebook-david-nelson-added-to-ailing-receiving-corps/

Former Bills wide receiver David Nelson was signed by the Jets on Wednesday after being brought in for a workout last Tuesday to bolster a wide receiver corps that has been depleted by injuries.

Nelson was limited to just one game with the Bills last year after he suffered a torn ligament in his right knee. But in the two years prior to the injury, he was beginning to piece together a relatively solid career and had shed the stigma of being an undrafted rookie free agent. In 2011, he played in all 16 games with 13 starts and had 61 receptions for 658 yards and five touchdowns. But the injury from last year squelched all that progress.

“The biggest thing was they wanted to see my knee. The playing part, I’ve played against them for three years so they know that,” Nelson said. “But they wanted to see the explosion and check it out and make sure that I was fine.”

As far as the injury, he said right now it is “all about maintenance and making sure that both legs are the same strength and same condition.”

He spent training camp and preseason with the Browns but was cut on Aug. 31 when an unrelated injury kept him out of three preseason games, limiting his opportunity to showcase his ability. The Jets two top receivers this year, Stephen Hill and Santonio Holmes, both emerged from Sunday’s loss at the Titans with injuries.

At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, Nelson possesses good size to be a potential red-zone threat. While he doesn’t have the 4.54-second 40-yard dash speed from his Pro Day at Florida before the NFL Draft, he should be fast enough to help stretch the field. To make room for Nelson, the Jets cut wide receiver Ben Obomanu, who never really distinguished himself with the Jets.

It looks like Nelson could be ready for Monday night at the Falcons. Head coach Rex Ryan called him a “very capable receiver” during his Wednesday press conference.

“He’s a veteran guy, I mean you have got to get him up to speed in a hurry,” Ryan said. “I have no idea how much he knows of this system or anything else right now. But I know we had to defend against him [in the past].”

Nelson also had a workout with the Patriots before the Jets signed him and another with the Chargers late last week.

“It was my understanding that workouts are to bring you in and look at you,” Nelson said. “And whenever you get that opportunity and they need somebody they’ll bring you in. Guys always pack and expect to be signed but you kind of come in just to show what you do.”

Jets notes …

» In addition to signing Nelson and cutting Obomanu, the Jets signed linebacker Troy Davis to the practice squad. They released former Hofstra running back Kareem Huggins from the practice squad in a corresponding move.

» The Jets aren’t ready to rule out Holmes or Hill for Monday night, with Ryan saying it is “hypotehtical.” If those two can’t play, Ryan said Jeremy Kerley and Clyde Gates will be the next men up.

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» Wednesday represented Mike Goodson’s return to the field after starting the season suspended for the first four games after his summer arrest. It isn’t inconceivable the running back could make his season debut in Atlanta.

“We’ll see as the week goes on. Clearly he hasn’t done any football work,” Ryan said. “We’ll see where he’s at [in terms of] conditioning.”

Goodson is currently on the active exempt roster so he can practice with the team but in order to play on Monday, the Jets would need to cut a player.

» Jets rookie tackle Oday Aboushi rode the exercise bicycle on Wednesday but rumors that he would be placed on injured reserve with a knee injury suffered in practice last week are unfounded.

“It’s nothing that serious,” Aboushi told Metro. “I hope to be back out there by the end of the week.”

Aboushi says it was just an awkward landing.

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WEDNESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

Associated Press

BASEBALL COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE_Suspended Milwaukee RHP Dylan Brock 50 games for a violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. American League HOUSTON ASTROS_Selected 1B Jon Singleton to the major league 40-man roster. Claimed LHP Raul Valdes from the Philadelphia Phillies. Sent RHP Philip Humber, C Cody Clark, INF Brandon Laird and C Matt Pagnozzi outright to their minor league camp. MINNESOTA TWINS_Assigned RHPs Cole De Vries, Shairon Martis and Josh Roenicke and OF Clete Thomas outright to Rochester (IL). TEXAS RANGERS_Announced the contracts of first base coach Dave Anderson and bench coach Jackie Moore will not be renewed. American Association EL PASO DIABLOS_Released INF Shelby Ford. LINCOLN SALTDOGS_Sent RHP Stayton Thomas to Rockford (Frontier) to complete an earlier trade. WINNIPEG GOLDEYES_Signed RHP Jason Jarvis. Frontier League WASHINGTON WILD THIGNS_Sent LHP Dayne Quist to San Angelo (United) to complete an earlier trade. WINDY CITY THUNDERBOLTS_Sold the contract of RHP Jake Roberts to the Arizona Diamondbacks. BASKETBALL National Basketball Association CHICAGO BULLS_Released Gs Kalin Lucas and Patrick Christopher. NEW YORK KNICKS_Signed G Chris Douglas-Roberts. Released F Justin Brownlee. SAN ANTONIO SPURS_Named Dave Telep draft scouting coordinator. FOOTBALL National Football League ARIZONA CARDINALS_Placed LB Vic So'oto on injured reserve. Signed LB Marcus Benard. Traded OT Levi Brown to Pittsburgh for a conditional draft pick. CINCINNATI BENGALS_Released DB Curtis Marsh. Signed LB Michael Boley. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS_Released G Thomas Austin from the practice squad.

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JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS_Traded OT Eugene Monroe to Baltimore for two undisclosed draft picks. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS_Released LB Darin Drakeford from the practice squad. Signed G Chandler Burden to the practice squad. MIAMI DOLPHINS_Released S Kelcie McCray and FB Tyler Clutts. Signed LB Austin Spitler. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS_Re-signed S Kanorris Davis to the practice squad. NEW YORK GIANTS_Released OT Steven Baker from the practice squad. Signed WR Marcus Harris to the practice squad. NEW YORK JETS_Signed WR David Nelson. ST. LOUIS RAMS_Signed WR Emory Blake to the practice squad. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS_Signed QB John Skelton to a one-year contract and LB Jermaine Cunningham. Released QB B.J. Daniels and RB Owen Marecic. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS_Released LB John Lotulelei. Released FB Jameson Konz from the practice squad. Claimed QB B.J. Daniels off waivers from San Francisco. Signed WR Arceto Clark to the practice squad. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS_Signed WR Chris Owusu. Claimed S Kelcie McCray off waivers from Miami. Canadian Football League EDMONTON ESKIMOS_Signed RB Robbie Rouse to the practice roster. WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS_Added WR Jheranie Boyd, OL Shea Allard, LB Taylor Reed, DB Semaj Moody and DE Jake Killeen to the practice roster. HOCKEY National Hockey League SAN JOSE SHARKS_Assigned F Freddie Hamilton to Worcester (AHL). Recalled F Matt Pelech from San Francisco (ECHL). American Hockey League PEORIA RIVERMEN_Signed Fs Brett Lipscomb and Branden Parkhouse; D Jarrett Rush and Tyler Amburgey; and G Russell Stein. SYRACUSE CRUNCH_Reassigned D Carl Nielsen to Florida (ECHL). TEXAS STARS_Assigned D Etienne Boutet to Idaho (ECHL). WORCESTER SHARKS_Named Charlie Townsend video coaching assistant. ECHL FLORIDA EVERBLADES_Agreed to terms with D Jordan Henry. READING ROYALS_Signed Gs Ryan Klingensmith and Shawn Sirman and D Brock Sawyer to tryout agreements. COLLEGE ALABAMA_Suspended S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix indefinitely for violating team rules. DELAWARE_Named Noah Fossner assistant lacrosse coach. FIU_Named Maegan Azpiazu assistant athletic director for marketing and new media. IONA_Named Matt Glovaski senior associate athletic director for advancement and external affairs. MASSACHUSETTS_Named Chris Wielgus director of operations for women's basketball. PURDUE_Suspended WRs B.J. Knauf two games and Jordan Woods indefinitely. TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO_Named Christie Hill and Jessica Rogers assistant softball coaches. WENTWORTH TECH_Named Tony Moschetto men's tennis coach.

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