Archives for October 16, 2005

‘”You wish they could play more together because I don’t think there’s another position on this football team that so needs guys to play every down together to get some kind of continuity,” Mularkey said. “No other position is like this one. Until we get that, it’s going to feel like there’s some inconsistency.”‘

‘Bills 23, Jets 17.’

‘”It’s all about attitude,” Clements said. “A lot of corners just don’t care for tackling. But we like hitting and we won’t shy away from contact.”‘

‘It would be dangerous for the Bills to think that way about him today. It was just a year ago when he averaged 4.6 yards a carry and produced 90 first downs, both career highs.’

‘The Bills have scored 59 points in the first half of games and just nine in the second half.’

‘When the AFC East rivals meet at a sold out Ralph Wilson Stadium, the Jets will be led by soon-to-be-42 Vinny Testaverde. The Bills, meanwhile, keep the quarterback controversy humming, with backup Kelly Holcomb getting the call for a second consecutive week. Both of today’s starters were winners a week ago and even though they were decidedly so-so, each became huge stories in their respective markets.’

‘”Absolutely he can get the job done,” said tight end Mark Campbell, who played with Holcomb in Cleveland. “That’s what people outside of this building don’t understand. He’s more than an average guy. I can’t say how this season is going to go, but I’ve played with that guy when he’s put up 400 yards and played extremely well. He just needs a chance.”‘

‘Martin, the NFL’s fourth all-time rusher with 13,651 yards, is undoubtedly the jet fuel in the Jets. In 74 career games in the AFC East, he has averaged nearly 90 yards rushing per game. When he gets more than 20 carries, the Jets are 43-16.’

‘How much can a special teams coach actually help a kicker? Aren’t you kind of your own coach?

“Bobby (April) is great because he lets us do our own thing. Sometimes kickers are maybe forced to do things a certain way, and we have things that we need to get done for the team, but he’ll say if it helps you to go sit in the cold tub, if it helps you to get another set of kicks, fine. Sometimes I think kickers are forced to kick more than they want, but Bobby lets us do whatever we think makes us successful.”‘

‘Jets 20, Bills 17.’

Far From Home, The Jets’ Nugent Finds His Inner Dorm Room (New York Times)

Back for more (New York Daily News)

Off the canvas (New York Post)

Defense can be super (New York Post)

Martin’s in a rush to hit 100 (New York Post)

Serby’s Sunday Q&A with…Vinny Testaverde (New York Post)

Boomer acts his age (Newsday)

Jets’ Martin carries load of expectations (White Plains Journal News)

Pumping iron builds Testaverde’s mettle (Newark Star Ledger)

Jets Matchups (Newark Star Ledger)

Vinny has Jets buzzing (Bergen Record)

Even through all the troubles the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills have faced early in this 2005 season, both are only a game behind the AFC East…