Rex Ryan announced the Jets’ captains for the 2011 season:
Offense: Mark Sanchez, Santonio Holmes
Defense: Darrelle Revis, Sione Pouha
Special Teams: Eric Smith
Sanchez has proven he’s a leader and it was time for him to be named a captain. Holmes is a great story. He was brought in last year on what he called a “tryout” and he’s become one of the Jets’ best players and leaders. Revis said being named a captain was “a great achievement.” Pouha called being a captain an “honor.” Smith jokingly said that he should have used this to his advantage when he was negotiating his new deal with the team.
Plaxico Burress sat down with HBO’s Bryant Gumbel, the host of ‘Real Sports,’ to talk about going from a Super Bowl hero with the Giants, to prison, and now back to the NFL with the Jets. The show will air tomorrow at 10 p.m. on HBO. Here’s a sneak peek:
OK so it is the preseason but Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez return to where it all started for them a couple years back. Rewind to September 13, 2009 when the Jets went into Houston and beat the Texans 24-7 in what was a very impressive performance by Sanchez in his first NFL game. Ryan’s Jets ended up being a lot better than most thought they would be that year, as it would be the first of two consecutive trips to the AFC title game for Gang Green.
Tonight the Jets are back in Houston to open their preseason schedule against the Texans. The game can be seen at 8 p.m. on ESPN and locally on Channel 9, and can be heard on 1050 ESPN Radio.
Here are a few pregame notes:
Plaxico Burress (ankle), Nick Mangold (neck/shoulder), and Brandon Moore (hip) will not play.
Safety Jim Leonhard will play in a game for the first time since breaking his leg last December.
Expect the starters to play one quarter.
WR/KR/PR Jeremy Kerley should see more time with Burress out.
In addition to Kerley, keep your eye on rookie defensive linemen Muhammad Wilkerson, Kenrick Ellis, and second-year offensive lineman Vladimir Ducasse.
Mark Sanchez and Shonn Green will be in the spotlight all year so why not get the lights rolling tonight.
Antonio Cromartie has something to prove, he says. That starts tonight.
Chris Bryan and T.J. Conley will battle for the punter’s job.
For the Texans, starting running back Arian Foster and reserves Steve Slaton and Ben Tate are out with injuries. Derrick Ward will start.
Houston still features QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson.
Jets West received a lot of attention from media and fans this offseason as Mark Sanchez hosted a number of the team’s players at Mission Viejo High School in California during the NFL lockout.
Sanchez is an Orange County native and former quarterback at USC. He’s a household name in L.A. and now the Jets are as well. ESPN LA announced late last week that it will broadcast all 16 of the Jets’ regular season games in 2011 on 710 AM in Los Angeles.
The city is trying to get an NFL team to play in a new stadium it hopes to build. The Jets won’t be that team, but they will be a part of that city’s media landscape this fall.
The Jets received visits this week from Freeman McNeil, the No. 2 rusher in team history, and country singer Kenny Chesney. The links to videos from each appearance at Florham Park are here:
McNeil was the third overall pick in the 1981 draft. He would go on to play his entire 12-year career with the Jets. A 3-time Pro Bowler who rushed for 8,074 yards and 38 touchdowns, McNeil also had 295 receptions and 12 receiving touchdowns. Only Curtis Martin has more rushing yards as a Jet.
Two days before the Jets first preseason game, here are your headline stories:
Plaxico Burress will not play in Monday’s preseason opener at Houston. The Jets are being very cautious with Burress, who has a mild sprain of his left ankle and will be shut down until Wednesday. Burress will not travel with the team. Both Burress and head coach Rex Ryan said the wide receiver, who turned 34 yesterday, could play if he had to, but that there’s no sense risking further injury. The goal is for him to be 100% healthy by next week.
Center Nick Mangold, who suffered a stinger to his neck/shoulder during Thursday’s practice, will play against the Texans.
Right guard Brandon Moore, who had hip surgery this offseason, was activated from the physically unable to perform list on Friday.
The Jets are very high on kick returner, punt returner, and wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, the team’s fifth round pick this year out of TCU.
Here is the Jets first depth chart of the 2011 season, released by the team earlier this week:
OFFENSE
WR: Plaxico Burress, Jeremy Kerley, Logan Payne, Michael Campbell, Courtney Smith LT: D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Dennis Landolt, Chris Duron LG: Matt Slauson, Chris Stewart, Taylor Boggs C: Nick Mangold, Robby Felix, Zane Taylor RG: Brandon Moore, Robert Turner, Matt Kroul RT: Wayne Hunter, Vladimir Ducasse, Pete Clifford TE: Dustin Keller, Matt Mulligan, Jeff Cumberland, Josh Baker WR: Santonio Holmes, Derrick Mason, Patrick Turner, Scotty McKnight, Dan DePalma QB: Mark Sanchez, Mark Brunell, Greg McElroy, Drew Willy FB: John Conner, Brian Toal RB: Shonn Greene, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe McKnight, Bilal Powell, Chris Jennings
DEFENSE
DE: Muhammad Wilkerson, Ropati Pitoitua, Jarron Gilbert NT: Sione Pouha, Kenrick Ellis, Martin Tevaseu DT: Mike DeVito, Marcus Dixon, Lorenzo Washington, Carlton Powell OLB: Bryan Thomas, Jamaal Westerman, Stafford Gatling WLB: Bart Scott, Nick Bellore, Brashton Satele, David Herron MLB: David Harris, Josh Mauga, Joey LaRocque, Matthias Berning OLB: Calvin Pace, Garrett McIntyre, Eddie Jones, Brandon Long CB: Darrelle Revis, Kyle Wilson, Donald Strickland, Richard Taylor CB: Antonio Cromartie, Marquice Cole, Julian Posey, Ellis Lankster S: Eric Smith, Brodney Pool, Emanuel Cook, DaVon Morgan S: Jim Leonhard, Dwight Lowery, Byron Landor, DaJuan Morgan
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Nick Folk, Nick Novak P: T.J. Conley, Chris Bryan H: T.J. Conley, Chris Bryan PR: Jeremy Kerley, Kyle Wilson, Joe McKnight KR: Jeremy Kerley, Kyle Wilson, Antonio Cromartie, Joe McKnight LS: Tanner Purdum, Wilson Raynor, Matt Mulligan
As I told you in my last post, WFAN’s Mike Francesa broadcasted his show from Jets camp yesterday in Florham Park.
Francesa, one of the Jets’ harshest critics the past couple of years, started his day by talking to head coach Rex Ryan in an interview that aired during the 6:00 hour on WFAN and the YES Network. It was the first time the two had talked since very early in Ryan’s tenure, and Mike asked the coach pointed questions, to which Ryan responded in typical fashion – confident, honest, and very likeable. Francesa also talked to GM Mike Tannenbaum, quarterback Mark Sanchez, wide receiver Plaxico Burress, cornerback Darrell Revis, special teams coach Mike Westhoff, and beat reporter Peter Schwartz. Click on the name below to listen to each interview.
Obviously the interview with Rex Ryan was the highlight of the show, but all the others were riveting as well. Listen to Sanchez talk about Broadway, Burress talk about prison, and Revis talk about playing cornerback, plus get the thoughts of Mike Westhoff, the NFL’s top special teams coach. Then there’s Tannenbaum, the Jets’ GM, who always comes across as one of the smartest executives in the league, and Schwartz, 660′s Jets beat reporter, who covers the team on a daily basis.
It’s good to get WFAN’s afternoon drive show back in the fold with the Jets. There was nothing better than listening to Mike and the Mad Dog interview Bruce Coslet and Boomer Esiason in the early 1990s, or hear their thoughts on Jets’ losses, personnel, and coaching changes. Those were not glory days for the team, but it made for great radio.
