Archives for December 2001

‘For anyone who has spent significant time with the Jets – Lewis, Aaron Glenn, Victor Green, Marvin Jones – these chances have been as slippery as Jell-O. Last year, the Jets seemed to have the playoffs firmly in their grasp, only to let it squeeze between their fingers with three straight losses to close out the season.’

‘"It’s not an every-day deal," Edwards said later. "Getting into the playoffs isn’t an every-day deal. Winning 10 games isn’t an every-day deal. Or 11 games. That’s not an every-day deal. They understand that. We have to take advantage of this opportunity."’

‘"We’re going to do what we’ve been doing the last two weeks," said Edwards, whose confidence in the passing attack has grown over the last five quarters. Ah, but there’s a caveat: Turnovers and three-and-outs must be kept to a minimum.’

‘Last time the Jets faced the Bills, the quarterback was Rob Johnson. This time, it’s Alex Van Pelt, whom the Jets perceive as a bigger threat in some respects than Johnson. "Nothing against Rob," Glenn said, "but this dude is a fiery guy. He’s kind of like (Doug) Flutie."’

‘”He’s making the point that the opportunities don’t come along very often,” Testaverde said, “so when they do, take full advantage of it. Don’t mess it up by saying, ‘Ah, I don’t have to lift weights today, I don’t have to take the extra reps . . . just work hard, continue to do the things we’ve done, and good things will happen. Just kinda seize the moment so to speak, because you don’t know what next year’s gonna bring. We talked about the (’98) AFC Championship Game, saying we were gonna win the Super Bowl the next year, and we go 8-8, so . . . You can’t count on next year. You have to take advantage of what’s in front of you now.”‘

‘Jets cornerback Aaron Glenn, though listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Bills with his sprained right knee, sounded yesterday as if he’ll be in the lineup in some shape or form.’

‘Ferguson has moved ahead of the more experienced Chris Hayes, who signed a five-year, $5-million contract before the season and believed he would be the starter.’

‘Herman Edwards’ latest motivational exercise was a simple one. In the team meeting yesterday morning, Edwards asked, "How many guys in this room have won a division?"’

‘Fabini, one of the most underrated left tackles in the NFL, is enjoying perhaps the best season of his four-year career.’

‘Q. Buffalo is a proud franchise. How has the team dealt with losing? A. It has been hard for a lot of the older guys, especially those who have been here, a couple of them, for the Super Bowl runs. But the young guys keep working hard. You haven’t seen this team lay down yet. This team has a lot of pride. We’re playing some good effort football. That’s a good positive note to build on for next year.’

‘Veterans are stressing to the younger players how important it is to seize the moment and reach the playoffs. Only 16 Jets remain on the roster who played a prominent role on the 1998 AFC East title team, and for most of them that was their only postseason appearance.’

‘"I’m going to show what I can and do the best job I can," Ferguson said Wednesday, four days before the first start of his NFL career. "It’s not a position where I feel I’m going to go in and botch it up, although some people may feel that way."’

‘The Jets’ path has become very clear: win two games, get the AFC East title, the conference’s second seed, and a first-round bye. Win one, get into the playoffs. Win none, possibly miss the postseason.’

‘But amid the carnage of a transitional year largely spent cleaning up the salary cap mess that the new football regime inherited and trying to accelerate the learning curve for one of the league’s youngest rosters, Buffalo Bills general manager Tom Donahoe offered Monday that head coach Gregg Williams has done a terrific job in his rookie season.’

‘It’s taken the Bills three months to figure out how to establish a potent running attack. Little did anyone realize the answer was as simple as pitching the ball outside.’