Jets News 8/11

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Jaguars vs. Jets 2016: Game time, TV schedule and live stream for preseason opener
By Adam Stites  @AdamBCC on Aug 11, 2016, 8:40a +


Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
New defensive additions for the Jets and Jaguars will be in the spotlight on Thursday night.

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Football is back. No really ... it’s actually going to happen this time.

Four days after the Hall of Fame Game debacle over the weekend, the real beginning of the preseason is a group of six games on Thursday night, including a matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets.

The preseason is especially important for the players on the bottom half of the roster. There are just 53 roster spots when the regular season rolls around and 10 practice squad spots, meaning several players will be left on the outside looking in.

Both teams have quarterbacks who have secured starting roles, but there are still some battles to keep an eye on during the first half, including plenty of new talent in the defensive halves.

The Jets invested heavily on the defensive line for a few years in a row and now the team has turned its attention to the next level with the addition of some new linebackers. Third-round rookie Jordan Jenkins is trying to lock down his spot as a starting outside linebacker, while first-rounder Darron Lee is hoping to eclipse Erin Henderson for the first-team role on the inside.

For the Jaguars, all eyes will be on the long list of defensive newcomers. Tashaun Gipson, Malik Jackson and Prince Amukamara were all added in free agency, then Jalen Ramsey, Myles Jack, Yannick Ngakoue and Sheldon Day were picked in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Still, it’s offense that typically steals the show and there are some interesting battles to watch on that side.

Blake Bortles, Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Julius Thomas make for a dangerous Jaguars passing attack, but the team hasn’t been able to find a consistent group of offensive linemen. 2013 No. 2 overall pick Luke Joeckel hasn’t panned out as a bookend left tackle and could end up starting at left guard. Still, most of the first-team spots seem still up for grabs.

While Ryan Fitzpatrick has been assured the job under center, it will still be interesting to see how the Jets quarterbacks perform. New York is in a peculiar spot with Geno Smith and he can put more pressure on the team by playing well in preseason.

Behind Smith are Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, two young passers with zero NFL experience but some interesting potential. It would take a tremendous meltdown for Fitzpatrick to lose his job, but if he struggles, he could enter the season with a short leash.

With the Jaguars’ lauded offseason and the Jets narrowly missing the postseason in 2015, there are high hopes for both teams to earn a spot in the playoffs this time around.

There’s plenty of optimism surrounding both squads, but Thursday is the first chance to see the units on the field. Shaking off the offseason rust and staying healthy are the top two goals in the first preseason game of the year.

How to watch

When: 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.

TV: CBS 2 (New York), WJXT Channel 4 (Jacksonville)

Announcers: Ian Eagle, Greg Buttle (Jets); Sam Kouvaris, Mark Brunell (Jaguars)

Odds: Jets (-3)

Online: NFL Game Pass


http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2016/8/...16-time-tv-schedule-live-stream-nfl-preseason

 

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Matt Forte expected to miss Jets preseason opener

Jun 14, 2016; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets running back Matt Forte (22) talks to Jets owner Woddy Johnson during OTA at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

By: Gary Phillips | 33 minutes ago
Matt Forte is still taking things slow.

The running back will miss his first opportunity for game action with the Jets, as he is expected to sit out the team’s preseason opener against Jacksonville on Thursday night. Forte has been nursing a sore hamstring since the start of training camp.

“Yeah,” head coach Todd Bowles said of Forte delaying his Jets debut, according to SNY. “That’s safe to say.”

RELATED:

Jets activate Muhammad Wilkerson from PUP list
Forte comes to the Jets after eight years and 8,602 rushing yards with the Chicago Bears. He replaces Chris Ivory – who the Jets will face on Thursday – after signing a three-year, $12 million deal in the offseason.

Injuries were an issue for the 30-year-old last season, as he missed the last three games of the season.

 

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Jets’ Rookie Martin Matching Folk Kick For Kick In Camp Competition


Big Legs To Continue Battle During Thursday Night's Preseason Opener Against The Visiting Jaguars

August 11, 2016 7:42 AM

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Nick Folk has patiently waited over nine months to kick in an NFL game again.

Fully healed from a quadriceps injury that cut short his season, and facing yet another challenge for his job, the veteran kicker is eager to walk onto the field at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night when the New York Jets take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in the teams’ preseason opener.

“I’m ready to play,” Folk said. “I’ve been ready to play since the beginning of OTAs. It’ll be good for me to get back out there and kind of get the juices flowing again. I’m good and feel good out there.”

MORE: Jets’ Fitzpatrick: Low Ranking In QB Poll ‘Pretty Typical’

Folk has certainly looked good during training camp, consistently making kick after kick in practice.

But as impressive as he has been this summer, rookie Ross Martin has been equally as good.

“He’s a good kicker and he’s quiet, trying to observe more than anything,” Folk said. “Nice kid. That’s how I was as a rookie, too. Just a fly on the wall. It’s kind of fun having him around, watching a good, young kicker kick.”

It all makes for an intriguing situation for coach Todd Bowles to sort out over the next few weeks.

“Every year is a competition because even if you’re by yourself and you have a poor outing or poor training camp, they’re always looking for someone,” Folk said. “So, yeah, I do feel it’s a competition, and that’s good. It should bring out the best in myself, Ross, and everyone else on this team.”

Folk, two field goals from passing John Hall for third place on the Jets’ career list, is no stranger to kicking for his job. Nick Novak (2011), Josh Brown (2012), Billy Cundiff (2013), Dan Carpenter (2013) and Andrew Furney (2014) have all come and gone. Folk has always come out on top since signing with the Jets in 2010 after being waived by Dallas in favor of Shaun Suisham after three seasons with the Cowboys.

Ross Martin kicks
Duke’s Ross Martin watches his game-winning field goal against Indiana during overtime of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 26, 2015. Duke won 44-41. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
Martin, an undrafted rookie out of Duke, is the latest comer. And, he has a shot at doing what the others couldn’t.

“They’ve both done a great job,” special teams coordinator Brant Boyer said. “Nick’s a veteran guy that obviously has the experience, and they’ve both been very consistent. I think they both have a really good chance and we’ll see what happens.”

Bowles said earlier in camp he doesn’t anticipate a decision being made until after the third game, at the earliest. That should give both Folk and Martin plenty of opportunities.

Some fans and media have speculated the Jets could opt for Martin if the two are close because of the salary differential. Folk, 31, is scheduled to make a base salary of $2.75 million; Martin will earn just $450,000.

“You can’t think about that,” Folk said. “All I can do is control what I can control, and that’s making kicks and kicking off well. Things will take care of themselves.”

Martin came to the Jets with a reputation for having an accurate and consistent leg. He was a four-time All-ACC selection at Duke and holds several school records, including most field goals made and attempted, highest career field goal percentage, and most PATs.

He signed with the Jets following the draft after talking with some of the coaches.

“They sounded like they really wanted me to be here and they really wanted me to compete,” said Martin, an Ohio native. “Kicking is sort of unique in the sense that you’re never exactly lining up against another guy. It’s just you out there kicking.”

Martin grew up playing soccer, and was a linebacker and running back through eighth grade. Once he got to high school, he wanted to play both sports, and the only way to make it work was to kick for the football team during special teams practice, then take off his pads and head over to the soccer field next door.

“I did that for a couple of years, and then my junior year I decided to devote all of my time to football once I saw there was going to be a future in that in college with scholarships and everything,” he said. “Then, I went full throttle into that.”

Turns out, it was a great decision for Martin. Now, he’ll get a chance to kick in an NFL preseason game — and take his first shot at beating out Folk.

“I’m just out here trying to kick well and do my best each and every day,” Martin said, “and hopefully decisions are in my favor.”

NOTES: The Jets placed DL Julien Obioha on injured reserve after he cleared waivers. Obioha, an undrafted free agent from Texas A&M, was waived/injured on Monday. The nature of Obioha’s injury was not immediately known.

 

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Bryce Petty ready to 'light it up' against Jaguars

Sep 13, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Bryce Petty (9) reacts to a call against the Cleveland Browns during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

By: Joe Lacalandra | 29 minutes ago

It wasn’t long ago that Bryce Petty was thought of as the Jets’ quarterback of the future. Now he’s stuck in the middle of a four-man quarterback room with no guarantee of a roster spot.

Petty is listed as the No. 3 quarterback on the Jets depth chart ahead of Thursday night’s preseason contest with the Jacksonville Jaguars. With that will come a major opportunity to show the coaching staff how much he has progressed in the last 12 months.


Petty must produce in the preseason in order to make a case for the 53-man roster. He knows it. Everyone knows it, and he is coming into Thursday’s game with one thing on his mind.

“Light it up? Hell yeah,” Petty told Manish Mehta of the Daily News. “That’s what I want to do.

“I want to go in there and Brett Favre it. Just do amazing things. That’s the way I feel you kind of have to be. There’s got to be some inspiring plays in there and some things that make them say, ‘Wow! Did you see Bryce?’ That’s what I want them to say, (but) I don’t want to play outside of the execution and try to (force) things. Just let things work, but at the same time, I want to ball out, for sure.”

Head coach Todd Bowles has been noncommittal about how long each of the Jets four quarterbacks will play against the Jaguars, but Petty figures to see significant action, likely in the second half.


http://jetswire.usatoday.com/2016/08/11/bryce-petty-ready-to-light-it-up-against-jaguars/

 

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Knocked out: How Jets QB Geno Smith views The Punch one year later

ESPN Illustration
7:18 AM ET
Rich Cimini
ESPN Staff Writer

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- On Aug. 11, 2015, Geno Smith arrived early to the New York Jets' facility, eager for the final practice before he started at quarterback in the first preseason game. He never made it to that practice.

Or the game.

Or back to his old job.

In a split second, Smith's career arc was destroyed by a teammate's fist. There was a locker room altercation with IK Enemkpali, and Smith was punched in the face by the 260-pound linebacker. The punch fractured his jaw in two places, and Smith needed surgery. It became national news that transcended sports: NFL starting quarterback gets sacked by teammate!

Thursday is the one-year anniversary of the incident that blindsided the Jets and stunned the NFL. Smith's post-punch job status hasn't changed -- he's still backing up Ryan Fitzpatrick -- but there's a noticeable difference in his demeanor.

In an interview with ESPN.com, Smith spoke openly about that day and how it has affected his life, in stark contrast to last season's clipped and sometimes grumpy comments. This time, he was upbeat. Smith painted it as a positive turning point and called it the day he became a man. In his next breath, the 25-year-old morphed into fiery competitor mode, revealing an inner obsession.

"It was so easy to say, 'Hey, this is not my fault. I'm the victim here, and this guy should be going to jail.' Instead, I manned up. I owned it. I took responsibility for whatever actions I had in that altercation, and I chose to let that fuel me to become a better man and a better player."
Geno Smith, on his outlook a year after being punched by a teammate
"Every day I'm pissed off until I get my job back," he said. "Until I'm a starting quarterback, I'm pissed off every day. That's my mentality, that's my competitive nature. I want to win so badly, deep inside of me. I'm not pissed off at anyone, but I do believe I'm a starting quarterback in this league, and I believe I can do great things."

After the punch, Smith's leadership was questioned by some in the media, with an undercurrent of criticism that suggested he instigated the incident because he hadn't paid a $600 debt to Enemkpali. There were similar whispers among teammates, only a few of whom offered strong public support. Two people in the locker room that day declined to comment for this story, with one saying, "I'm not touching that one."

It's still a sensitive subject around the team. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall was hesitant to discuss it. "A lot of us were in awe, shocked a little bit because he was doing so well," he said.

Smith was upset by the way it was portrayed. "Sometimes perception is reality," he said. But he never lashed out at Enemkpali, who was released by the Jets and picked up immediately by the Buffalo Bills.

"When I look back on this when I'm 40, 50 years old, I'll ask myself, 'What time in my life made me a man?' I think this was that time in my life," he said. "It was so easy to say, 'Hey, this is not my fault. I'm the victim here, and this guy should be going to jail.' Instead, I manned up. I owned it. I took responsibility for whatever actions I had in that altercation, and I chose to let that fuel me to become a better man and a better player."

Smith wasn't entrenched as the Jets' quarterback, but he was the presumptive opening day starter. He got Wally Pipped, as Fitzpatrick played well and became a locker room favorite. Smith, who was 11-18 as the starter in 2013 and 2014, felt he was entitled to his starting role upon returning from his two-month injury.

"I was so mad for a bunch of reasons, but I didn't know who to direct the anger at," he said. "I leaned on Brandon, and I leaned on my faith. I read the [Bible] more, and I really started to understand that, in life, some things just aren't fair.

"Of course, yeah, I expected to get my job back once I came back, but that didn't happen. So what do you do? Do you begin to pout? Do you give up on your dreams? Or do you keep moving forward, keep pressing forward and understand that things will come back around?"

Marshall became the quarterback's biggest ally and visited Smith at home during breaks in training camp. He tried to lighten the mood by bringing Smith candy even though he couldn't eat solid food. Marshall saw his friend on an emotional rollercoaster.

"He had some good days and some bad days, but every day he got up and he just fought," Marshall said. "I remember there were days when I saw it in his eyes. He was down. We sat down, and we talked, and we just got through it together. There were days where he was awesome. But every single day was the same approach, whether it was good or bad."


Geno Smith played in just one game for the Jets in 2015, but he says he has the potential to be a great QB. Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Smith made it through the season but played in only one game as an injury replacement for Fitzpatrick. On the morning after Super Bowl 50, he started offseason workouts with Bo Smith, who runs a training facility in Miami. They were all-day workouts five days a week, until the Jets' offseason program began in April. Workouts included weight-room sessions, sprints, aerobics and passing drills.

Smith returned to the Jets as the nominal starter, as he held the job during Fitzpatrick's contract dispute. He told friends he was ready to lead the team, but you know what happened: Fitzpatrick signed on the eve of training camp, and it was back to No. 2 for Smith.

First it was a punch in the jaw, then it was a kick in the gut.


Trying to find a silver lining, Marshall said Smith's post-punch time on the bench "was the best thing that could've happened for him in his career. He was able to take a step back and slow down the learning process, see how Fitz works, sit back in the meeting rooms and watch how Fitz communicates."

It has been a turbulent three-plus years for Smith, who admitted he sometimes asked himself, "Why is this happening?" Despite two inconsistent seasons, he firmly believes he can be an outstanding quarterback.

"If you look at the history of great quarterbacks, from Joe Montana being picked late to Tom Brady being picked late to Steve Young and what he faced in his early years to Kurt Warner ... I mean, all those guys -- Troy Aikman -- struggled in the beginning," Smith said. "But somehow, they continued to press on and got better."

Smith, a free agent after this season, said his career will make "a great story" some day. In reality, there's no way to know if he'll get another chance to lead a football team. Ironically, Enemkpali could get a chance to be a starter for the Bills because first-round pick Shaq Lawson is injured.

Everything changed in the blink of an eye one year ago.

"It seems like an eternity because I've buried it behind me and I've gotten so much better on the field and off the field from that point," Smith said. "It seems like an eternity. You're right, it was only a year ago, but that goes to show how much someone can improve and how much you can grow in just a year."

 

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Jets' Fitzpatrick unimpressed with 25th ranking in ESPN QB poll
by Jack Browne 10h ago

Mark L. Baer / USA TODAY Sports
New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick continues to get little respect in league circles, despite putting up career numbers in 2015.

Upon hearing that he had been ranked the NFL's 25th-best quarterback in an ESPN poll of unnamed league coaches and front office executives, Fitzpatrick wondered sarcastically how he's managed to stay in the league so long.

"That’s pretty typical, right?" Fitzpatrick said, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. "It's amazing that I’ve been the worst quarterback in the league for the last 11 years and somehow I'm still in the league. It's amazing how that happens, but it happens every year."

In fairness, the poll had eight quarterbacks below Fitzpatrick, but they were comprised of unproven young starters such as Brock Osweiler and Tyrod Taylor, and veterans who have yet to even secure their place under center, like Colin Kaepernick and Mark Sanchez.

Fitzpatrick was placed at the bottom of the third tier (five total), with the passers in his group described as legitimate starting quarterbacks, but those that need a strong defense and running game to succeed.

And that's exactly what Fitzpatrick has been for his entire 12-year career. He's always been viewed as a stop-gap starter with limited physical tools and a penchant for turnovers, and it appears one strong statistical season has done little to alter that perception.

Not that Fitzpatrick cares. The veteran quarterback knows he might not be the most physically talented player in the league, and is used to being dismissed.

"Let's say each team puts their top three quarterbacks out there: 32 teams, 96 quarterbacks," Fitzpatrick said. "And you line us up all in shorts and you put ski masks on us and have us throw. I’m going to be in the 90th or lower (percentile), I'm sure.

"But I almost pride myself on that, because I'm not a Combine guy. I'm not a guy that got recruited out of high school. I'm not a guy that was a first-round pick. I'm not a coveted free agent. I’m just a guy that comes in and works my tail off, and tries to do my job.”

 

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Jets’ chaos is finally over: Now it’s what QBs can do

By Brian Costello August 10, 2016 | 8:47pm




After seven months of talk about the 2015 season, contract standoffs, beards, hair cuts, franchise tags and draft picks, the Jets will be back on the field Thursday night.

The preseason opener against the Jaguars at MetLife Stadium brings with it the next chapter in the 2016 season. It will be the first look at these Jets in a game situation. For the starters it will be a brief look, but it still means that the team is shifting into a different mode from the early days of training camp into the preseason.

“It’s good to see us play against somebody else, but we still have some kinks to work out, so it’s not an emergency to get there,” coach Todd Bowles said this week. “We need to work some things out before we get there, but it will be interesting to see how far we have come and how far we have to go.”

The Jets opened training camp two weeks ago. The biggest story entering training camp was quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s status. When he signed a one-year, $12 million deal on the eve of camp, it made the 2016 Jets whole. Now, Fitzpatrick will be on the field directing the first-team offense. Bowles would not say how long Fitzpatrick and the first-teamers will play for, but it probably won’t be more than a series.

“You want to get through without getting anybody injured,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. That’s goal number one. Communicating, playing against a different team, a different scheme, it’s good to get out there and start ironing some of the stuff out a little bit. It’s not all a waste. I think it’s good and a necessary evil. You hope on both sides no one gets injured.”

The biggest story Thursday figures to be how the quarterbacks perform — all four of them. Once Fitzpatrick hits the bench, Geno Smith will come in. Smith has had a strong training camp after moving to the bench when Fitzpatrick arrived. The preseason games are critical for Smith, who will be a free agent in 2017. If things go according to plan this year, Smith won’t see the field. That means what he does in the preseason could be his only chance to convince the Jets or another team to sign him next year.

The second half will feature second-year quarterback Bryce Petty and rookie Christian Hackenberg. Both of them, particularly Hackenberg, have had limited chances in practice. They get a chance to impress the coaches against the Jaguars and maybe earn more reps.


Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey spoke about the difficulty of evaluating four quarterbacks in training camp with a limited number of reps.

“That’s the challenge,” Gailey said. “You have X number of reps in practice and in games. You’re trying to get guys ready to play the season, and evaluate other guys and it’s very difficult, and that’s what we’re trying to do at this time and it’s not easy.”

On defense, the Jets will have five new starters — cornerback Buster Skrine, nose tackle Steve McLendon and linebackers Erin Henderson, Jordan Jenkins and Lorenzo Mauldin. They will see a familiar face early with former Jets running back Chris Ivory now a member of the Jaguars.

“I think we’re heading down the path of where we want to go,” linebacker David Harris said of the defense. “There’s still some work that needs to be done. We need to hone in on our technique a little bit. As a whole, I feel like we’re not having as many mental errors as we did this time last year in camp. That’s a huge plus.”

Running back Matt Forte (hamstring) and defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (leg) are not expected to play, along with some of the other injured Jets.

For the starting 22, this is a chance to shake off the rust and hit someone in a different uniform. For everyone else, this is a chance to impress the coaches.

“It’s going to be pretty simple game-plan wise,” Bowles said. “We just want to see guys go out and play fast and play hard and know their assignment, and try to decipher who can play and who can’t.”

Three to watch

Bryce Petty, QB

The Jets might end up keeping four quarterbacks on their roster. If they don’t, Petty is the most likely to get cut. He has had an up and down training camp. He needs to play well in the preseason games.

Darron Lee, LB

The first-round pick out of Ohio State gives the Jets a speed element they were lacking on defense last year. The Jets might not turn him completely loose until the regular season, choosing not to show the multiple ways they plan on using him. Still, it will be fun to watch him fly around.

Jace Amaro, TE

The third-year tight end has been the star of camp so far, making tough catches and looking like the player the Jets hoped he would become. If he can carry it over to the season, the Jets just might have another weapon.

http://nypost.com/2016/08/10/jets-chaos-is-finally-over-now-its-what-qbs-can-do/

 

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With four quarterbacks, Jets’ preseason reps at a premium

Updated August 10, 2016 8:33 PM
By Kimberley A. Martin kimberley.martin@newsday.com


Ryan Fitzpatrick expected to be in for only a few series, followed by Geno Smith
Bowles not specific about QB plans vs. Jaguars
Todd Bowles has a pretty good idea of what Ryan Fitzpatrick’s workload will be Thursday night. But he wouldn’t divulge the specifics of his plan.
“I would say yes, but any time I’ve had that in my head it hasn’t turned out that way,” Bowles said the day before the Jets’ preseason opener against Jacksonville at MetLife Stadium. “We have a certain number of plays in mind that we’ll set up for him. I’ll talk to (offensive coordinator) Chan (Gailey) and (quarterbacks coach) Kevin (Patullo) about that . . . and we’ll come up with a fair number for all of us.”
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The Jets have four quarterbacks to feed, but only Fitzpatrick and backup Geno Smith need to be season-ready in a few weeks. Second-year man Bryce Petty and rookie Christian Hackenberg have had to make do with limited reps in training camp.
“You evaluate them on the mental part right now,” Bowles said, adding that it’s not difficult to evaluate the two young quarterbacks in practice. “I know Hack isn’t getting as many reps as everybody else and his time will come, but he’s still learning. He’s got a lot to learn. Those guys have been here a year and they’ve learned the system, so it wouldn’t be fair to evaluate him the same as the other three.”
The Jets selected Hackenberg in the second round, a bold move considering his well-publicized accuracy issues. Gailey said now isn’t the right time to make “wholesale” changes with his questionable mechanics. “In general, it takes thousands of reps to change a habit,’’ he said. “So if you’re going to change a habit, you need thousands of offseason reps. You don’t need a few hundred throws a week. That’s a big difference.”
Jets
Geno Smith tries to grind through frustration

But Hackenberg won’t get anywhere close to that with three other quarterbacks on the roster. Even with his current limitations, the Jets believe in his upside.

“I think we all see his potential and what he can be,” Gailey said. “He has got all the tools, so it’s just a matter of him learning what needs to be done here and then going out and doing it on a consistent basis. That’s the key, consistency, in this league.”
Smith, who went 11-18 as the Jets’ starter in 2013 and 2014, made only one appearance last season, coming off the bench for the injured Fitzpatrick in a 34-20 loss at Oakland in Week 8. Even so, Smith’s game experience is an asset neither Petty nor Hackenberg possesses.
“Yes, he has proven that he can go out and play in ballgames and win ballgames, and you’re right, a lot of people don’t have that,” Gailey said. “And that is a good thing for us to be able to say we have. Not very many teams have it.”
With Fitzpatrick expected to play only a series or two against the Jaguars, the game could go a long way in paving Smith’s road to redemption. This is a new season and a fresh start for the former starter.
Jets
Too early for Jets to tinker with Hackenberg

“I hope he shows us just what he has shown us in practice,” Gailey said. “That he has a good grasp of the offense and he’s playing very intelligently and throwing that ball accurately.”

 

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Folk facing challenge for Jets kicker job from rookie Martin


Aug 10, 2016 at 6:11p ET
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) Nick Folk has patiently waited over nine months to kick in an NFL game again.

Fully healed from a quadriceps injury that cut short his season, and facing yet another challenge for his job, the veteran kicker is eager to walk onto the field at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night when the New York Jets take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in the teams' preseason opener.

''I'm ready to play,'' Folk said. ''I've been ready to play since the beginning of OTAs. It'll be good for me to get back out there and kind of get the juices flowing again. I'm good and feel good out there.''



Folk has certainly looked good during training camp, consistently making kick after kick in practice.

But as impressive as he has been this summer, rookie Ross Martin has been equally as good.

''He's a good kicker and he's quiet, trying to observe more than anything,'' Folk said. ''Nice kid. That's how I was as a rookie, too. Just a fly on the wall. It's kind of fun having him around, watching a good, young kicker kick.''

It all makes for an intriguing situation for coach Todd Bowles to sort out over the next few weeks.

''Every year is a competition because even if you're by yourself and you have a poor outing or poor training camp, they're always looking for someone,'' Folk said. ''So, yeah, I do feel it's a competition, and that's good. It should bring out the best in myself, Ross, and everyone else on this team.''

Folk, two field goals from passing John Hall for third place on the Jets' career list, is no stranger to kicking for his job. Nick Novak (2011), Josh Brown (2012), Billy Cundiff (2013), Dan Carpenter (2013) and Andrew Furney (2014) have all come and gone. Folk has always come out on top since signing with the Jets in 2010 after being waived by Dallas in favor of Shaun Suisham after three seasons with the Cowboys.

Martin, an undrafted rookie out of Duke, is the latest comer. And, he has a shot at doing what the others couldn't.

''They've both done a great job,'' special teams coordinator Brant Boyer said. ''Nick's a veteran guy that obviously has the experience, and they've both been very consistent. I think they both have a really good chance and we'll see what happens.''

Bowles said earlier in camp he doesn't anticipate a decision being made until after the third game, at the earliest. That should give both Folk and Martin plenty of opportunities.

Some fans and media have speculated the Jets could opt for Martin if the two are close because of the salary differential. Folk, 31, is scheduled to make a base salary of $2.75 million; Martin will earn just $450,000.

''You can't think about that,'' Folk said. ''All I can do is control what I can control, and that's making kicks and kicking off well. Things will take care of themselves.''

Martin came to the Jets with a reputation for having an accurate and consistent leg. He was a four-time All-ACC selection at Duke and holds several school records, including most field goals made and attempted, highest career field goal percentage, and most PATs.

He signed with the Jets following the draft after talking with some of the coaches.

''They sounded like they really wanted me to be here and they really wanted me to compete,'' said Martin, an Ohio native. ''Kicking is sort of unique in the sense that you're never exactly lining up against another guy. It's just you out there kicking.''

Martin grew up playing soccer, and was a linebacker and running back through eighth grade. Once he got to high school, he wanted to play both sports, and the only way to make it work was to kick for the football team during special teams practice, then take off his pads and head over to the soccer field next door.

''I did that for a couple of years, and then my junior year I decided to devote all of my time to football once I saw there was going to be a future in that in college with scholarships and everything,'' he said. ''Then, I went full throttle into that.''

Turns out, it was a great decision for Martin. Now, he'll get a chance to kick in an NFL preseason game - and take his first shot at beating out Folk.

''I'm just out here trying to kick well and do my best each and every day,'' Martin said, ''and hopefully decisions are in my favor.

---

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL

 

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Here's when the NFL Network is airing Curtis Martin's 'A Football Life'


Connor Hughes | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com By Connor Hughes | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on August 10, 2016 at 3:42 PM




NFL Films and the NFL Network have announced the timeline for 25 scheduled documentaries this year.

Among them? 'A Football Life' starring former Jets great Curtis Martin. The program will debut Friday, Sept. 16 at 9 p.m. Martin is among 13 athletes profiled during the sixth season of the show.


Martin played nine of his 12 NFL seasons with the Jets. He joined the team in 1998, and announced his retirement in 2006. He holds the Jets' single-season record for career rushing attempts (2,560), yards (10,302) and touchdowns (58). His 1,697 rushing yards in 2004 are a single-season franchise record. His total of 1,513 yards in 2001, and 1,464 in 1999, rank second and third.

Martin rushed for 14,101 yards (fourth-most all time) and 90 touchdowns in his career, taking into consideration the three years he spent with the New England Patriots (1995-1997). He was a five-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

'A Football Life' will chronicle not only Martin's on-field accomplishments, but also the trials and tribulations he endured off it. Martin grew up in Pittsburgh surrounded by violence.

The following are the other athletes profiled on 'A Football Life' this season, per the press release:

Super Bowl champion safety Rodney Harrison
Former Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Johnson
Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young
The late Pat Tillman
Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre
Former Pro Bowl quarterback Michael Vick
Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith Sr.
Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman
Former Pro Bowl defensive back Charles Woodson
Hall of Fame linebacker Kevin Greene
Hall of Fame head coach Chuck Noll
Connor Hughes may be reached at chughes@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connor_J_Hughes. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.

 

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Where are Jets in NFL preseason power rankings?



Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com By Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on August 10, 2016 at 10:34 AM




The Jets open their preseason schedule Thursday night at home against the Jaguars. But before that, how about some more power rankings?

Surely, you are at least somewhat sick of these dopey things by now. How can you not be, at this point in the offseason?

But if you're at all interested, NFL Media's Elliot Harrison has rolled out some more power rankings.

He placed the Jets 15th, nine spots higher than where he had them in early May.

Why? Well, here's why, according to Harrison:

Huge leap for the Jets, mostly due to Ryan Fitzpatrick returning to the fold. He even trimmed his hair, transitioning from a Pantene mountain man who believes in leave-in conditioner to the bass player of a metal band in Cleveland. (Those dudes are all going high and tight now. No more Whitesnake.) As far as the Marshall-Revis skirmish ... Need I remind you that Rocky and Apollo not only made up, but wore short shorts together.

Extra points for spicing this up with some clever/snarky pop culture references.

Do you agree with Harrison's ranking of the Jets? Disagree? Don't care, and would rather listen to Whitesnake than read more power rankings? However you feel, sound off in the comments.

Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.

 

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Jets rookie Darron Lee: Potential nickel linebacker hasn't spent a dime
1:08 PM ET
Rich Cimini
ESPN Staff Writer

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- First-round pick Darron Lee received a $5.6 million signing bonus from the New York Jets, so naturally he went out and splurged for something extravagant -- maybe a sports car, a new house or a monster flat-screen TV.

Not exactly.

"I haven't spent a cent," Lee said on Tuesday. "I haven't bought anything. I haven't spent a dime. ... I'm cheap, to an extent."


The Jets are counting on him to be faster to the football than he is to the cash register. We'll get our first real look at Lee on Thursday night, when the team opens the preseason against the Jacksonville Jaguars at MetLife Stadium. The 6-foot-1, 232-pound linebacker isn't listed as a starter -- he's behind Erin Henderson -- but he should see extensive action in his NFL debut.

"I'm very ready," Lee said.

You will see a different kind of linebacker, not the typical downhill thumper. Lee, the fastest linebacker at the scouting combine (4.47 seconds in the 40), is a sideline-to-sideline player with the ability to blitz and drop into coverage. He's not David Harris, an inside run stuffer. He's a versatile player who, in theory, should be able to make plays in space, if used correctly.

"Right now, we're still evaluating to figure out what can he do," defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said. "Right now, these next four preseason games, we kind of see him athletically. We knew what he could do when we drafted him. We just need to see what his role is going to be for us going forward."

Chances are Lee will wind up playing in sub packages -- i.e. the nickel -- increasing the overall speed on defense. That was one of the Jets' goals at the start of the offseason. Despite his size, he's a natural pass-rusher, as evidenced by his 12 sacks in two seasons at Ohio State.

Lee is accustomed to playing in front of crowds of 100,000, but he admitted he might experience butterflies in his debut.

"There will be a small, little feeling of relief because you know you made it here and it's your dream," he said. "It's great to be here because only a small percentage of guys have this opportunity. But also my nerves will be up, trying to go out there and help contribute to a win. There will be nerves and excitement because it's my first NFL game. I'm very ecstatic just to be in this position."

 

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Folk facing challenge for Jets kicker job from rookie Martin

9:17AM

New York Jets kicker Nick Folk kicks a field goal out of the hold by punter Ryan Quigley against the Oakland Raiders during the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. (Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports Images)
Nick Folk has patiently waited over nine months to kick in an NFL game again.

Fully healed from a quadriceps injury that cut short his season, and facing yet another challenge for his job, the veteran kicker is eager to walk onto the field at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night when the New York Jets take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in the teams' preseason opener.

"I'm ready to play," Folk said. "I've been ready to play since the beginning of OTAs. It'll be good for me to get back out there and kind of get the juices flowing again. I'm good and feel good out there."

Folk has certainly looked good during training camp, consistently making kick after kick in practice.

But as impressive as he has been this summer, rookie Ross Martin has been equally as good.

"He's a good kicker and he's quiet, trying to observe more than anything," Folk said. "Nice kid. That's how I was as a rookie, too. Just a fly on the wall. It's kind of fun having him around, watching a good, young kicker kick."

It all makes for an intriguing situation for coach Todd Bowles to sort out over the next few weeks.

"Every year is a competition because even if you're by yourself and you have a poor outing or poor training camp, they're always looking for someone," Folk said. "So, yeah, I do feel it's a competition, and that's good. It should bring out the best in myself, Ross, and everyone else on this team." >> Read more

Copyright 2016 by The Associated Press

 

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Jets Roster Analysis: Jason Vander Laan Tries to Convert to Tight End
By John B Aug 11, 2016, 9:00a

As we approach the 2016 season, we are going to profile the players on the roster. Today we look at Jason Vander Laan

Name: Jason Vander Laan

Number: 49

Year With Jets: 1st

Projected Role: Practice squad candidate at tight end

His 2015: A legend at Ferris State, Vander Laan won his second straight Harlon Hill Trophy as the most valuable player in Division II. The college quarterback signed with the Jets and is attempting to convert to tight end in the NFL.

2016 will be a success if: Vander Laan makes the practice squad and shows enough progress to stay for the entire season. I'm not sure there is a player on the 90 man training camp roster who faces longer odds to either make the Week 1 roster or have a successful career. While Vander Laan was a wonderful college player, he faces a number of challenges, any of which would be overwhelming on its own. Division II players are frequently overwhelmed when they reach the NFL and experience such a drastic increase in the talent of the opposition. That is just for guys playing their own position. Vander Laan is learning a new one from scratch so he is pretty much learning all of the fundamentals and nuances of the tight end spot as he's adjusting to such an increase in the quality of his opponents. Conversion projects rarely work out even from big schools. This player would do very well to earn and keep a roster spot.

Odds of making the roster: Longshot (under 25%)

 

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Jenkins: ‘It’s Going to Be One Hell of a Feeling’
Posted 3 hours ago

Eric Allen
Sr. Reporter/Director, Internet Programming
Email @eallenjets On the Inside
Rookie OLB Is Concentrating on His Eyes Before His Pro Debut


After he puts on his pads and uniform Thursday evening, Jets rookie OLB Jordan Jenkins will take a short walk from the home locker room to the MetLife Stadium field for the time as a professional.

“I can’t even find the right words, it’s going to be one hell of a feeling,” he told me this week. “I feel like it’s going to be an out of this world type thing coming out of that tunnel at MetLife Stadium. It’s crazy, I’ve always talked about it since elementary school, middle school and high school, saying that I wanted to be a professional football player. Now my time is here and I need to show people that I’m ready to compete and fight for my life.”

The Jets open their preseason schedule Thursday vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars. After facing Jets’ offensive linemen for two weeks, Jenkins will get a shot in live action against a new opponent.

“He’s really good. He’s really strong with his hands,” said defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers. “He’s pretty versatile. He shows up to set the edge in the run game. He’s shown the ability to win one-on-one in the rush.”



Jenkins, a third-round pick from Georgia, is atop the team’s depth chart at the Sam ‘backer spot across from Lorenzo Mauldin. Head coach Todd Bowles has stressed competition on the outside and he wants both Jenkins and Mauldin to continue to gain knowledge of the game with experience being the best teacher.

“I’m doing some things well — I’m doing some others things not so well. I just have to find a balance where I can make sure the things that I’m doing well outweigh the things that aren’t going well,” Jenkins said. “I have to stay focused and keep my eyes where they’re supposed to be and just be ready mentally for each practice and each down.”

The 6’3”, 259-pound Jenkins, who totaled 205 tackles, 19 sacks and 40 tackles for loss at Georgia, is wise beyond his years. Named UGA’s Most Improved Player in 2014 and the Bulldogs Defensive MVP in 2015, Jenkins knows discipline is required early in his career.

“Eye control is what really holds a lot of rookies back and a lot of outside ‘backers. If we don’t have good eye control, we’re going to miss our keys when we’re supposed to set the edge,” he said. “Or we might read the wrong key and get out of leverage and lose the position battle and somebody might get outside of you, somebody might get inside of you, or you might get burnt down the sideline on a wheel route. You just have to make sure you are staying on top of things.”




While Jenkins is part of an OLB group competing for playing time that includes Mike Catapano, Freddie Bishop and Trevor Reilly, the rookie says everyone is trying to assist each other.

“I didn’t think it would be as welcoming as it has been. If one of us messes up on a play or something, the others will come coach the one up,” he said. “Just sitting watching film on the 1-on-1s in pass rush, everybody is trying to help each other out. We just want to be as best as we can be, whether you’re playing or you’re not. We just want to be a great unit.”

Jenkins will play against the Jaguars, attempting to set the edge, push the pocket and perhaps drop a time or two in coverage. It might be just the preseason, but the Hamilton, GA native is about to appear in an NFL game and that’s a big deal.

“This is crazy. I was just thinking, ‘Man is this really about to be my first professional game?’ It still feels surreal and it still doesn’t feel like I’m a pro,” he said. “It still feels like I’m just a college kid from Georgia at maybe a little camp or a Senior Bowl type thing.”