49ers' Carlos Rogers says Jets defense quit

Carlos Rogers, the San Francisco 49ers cornerback who returned Santonio Holmes' fumble 51 yards for a touchdown, had a theory why his team crushed the New York Jets 34-0 on Sunday.  Rogers thinks Gang Green's defense packed it in early.

"It kinda seemed like, after a while they just, I know, looking at their defense, they didn't want to be out there," Rogers told Sirius XM radio Tuesday.  "And after that it's like, man, these guys don't really want to play the game.  You know it's pretty much over.

"You could see it happening," Rogers continued to say.  "It kinda shocked me just because, you know, a lot of guys were saying on the sideline, 'Oh, they don't want to tackle, they don't want to do this, they don't want to do that.'  That's a Rex Ryan defense.  That's a Rex Ryan team."

It sounded like Rogers couldn't believe the 49ers were playing a Rex Ryan team.

"His defense, you know, plays throughout," Rogers said.  "And that was the shocking point about it ... It really kind of shocked me to see that them guys were ready to get in the showers."

Rogers might be correct about the Jets player's haste to hit the showers.  There was a lot of shame to wash away.

Rex Ryan gives spicy recipe for Jets' butt kicking

An angry Rex Ryan faced the media after his New York Jets were manhandled 34-0 by the San Francisco 49ers sounding more like Chef Ramsey than Vince Lombardi.  The slow-boiling head coach opened up his press conference by saying:

"I apologize for my language because  I was going to say we got out butts kicked,  but we got our asses kicked. Here's a recipe for getting your asses kicked.  Two-for-13 on third down ... four turnovers, a blocked punt when they rush one guy and giving up 245 yards rushing.  How's that for a recipe?"

The simmering Ryan went on to say he would give his team a couple of days to "soul search."

"It's obviously unacceptable," he fumed.  "It starts with the coaches.  The players are not going to be in on Monday or Tuesday.  They've got to dig deep, look down at themselves ."

What must really have Ryan steaming is the fact that the 49ers represent a team he wants the Jets to be  — a beefy stew containing a stout defense,  a grinding running game with a dash of Wildcat offense — but it was the Niners who served it up to the Jets fans in MetLife Stadium.

Ryan could only watch as the 49ers rumbled for 245 yards on the ground and even used his Tim Tebow-style Wildcat for a touchdown to rub salt in his wounds.

"It's not something I ever want to go through again," said Ryan.  "I can tell you that much."

The Jets coach bristled  when asked if he would finally replace Mark Sanchez — 13-of-29 for only 103 yards and a costly fumble —with Tebow to shake up the tepid offense.

"Mark is the answer," said Ryan, adding.  "But time will tell."

It's hard to tell if the sporadically used Tebow can do anything to shake the team from its doldrums.  The Jets backup quarterback ran twice yesterday and completed his only pass which ended up as a fumble.  He looked flatter than a Denver omelette.

Seeing his best offensive weapon receiver Santonio Holmes carted off the field  probably has Ryan losing his appetite anyway.

The 34-0 drubbing was the third worst home loss in Jets history and, if that chant for "Tebow-Tebow-Tebow" Sunday afternoon was faint, it's only because there were so few masochistic Gang Green fans left in the stands by the end of the game.

Still, Ryan has to be hearing those words in his head today.

Rex Ryan to fans chanting for Tebow: Save your breath

Rex Ryan has a message for New York Jets fans who grow impatient with Mark Sanchez and start chanting, "Te-bow, Te-bow, Te-bow" at the first sign of trouble with his starting quarterback: Save your breath, Sanchez is staying in the game.

Ryan is ready to unleash the Wildcat offense against the Bills in Sunday's season opener but won't cow tow to fans screaming for Tebow as soon as Sanchez throws an interception or fumbles.

"I don't care what I hear," Ryan told the New York Daily News on Thursday.  "So it doesn't matter.  They can yell, they can do all they want.  Mark is our quarterback and that's the way it is.  Am I excited to have Tim here?  Of course.  Because  I know we brought in an outstanding football player.  I knew that from day one and that's the way it is."

Ryan has spent the whole week defending his starting quarterback.  A day after Santonio Holmes said Sanchez was "rattled" when the Jets traded for Tebow, the head coach came to Sanchez's defense and disagreed with Holmes' assertion.

"His motivation is much more than having Tim here," said Ryan.

Yesterday Ryan was back to doing what he has become accustomed to — having Sanchez's back.

"I hope fans are always supportive of us.  I understand if things aren't going well that they have every right to voice their displeasure," Ryan said.  "But there is only one guy that ultimately would make a change at quarterback."

After a poor preseason, where Sanchez failed to get the ball in the end zone, Jets fans are getting a little antsy.  The Jets have kept the Wildcat under wraps all summer and fans are anxious to see the Jets' version with Tebow at the helm.

All it will take is a couple of failed drives to fill MetLife Stadium with screams for Tebow.

Ryan is at a turning point with the Jets.  Another post-season without an appearance won't fly with team owner Woody Johnson.  The same owner who said, "You can never have too much Tebow."

Even the head coach doesn't know how well the Wildcat will work because they haven't used it in a game.

"Am I excited to see it? Sure," said Ryan.  "I'm excited because I think it's going to have a place in our offense."

"J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets" may be replaced by calls for Tebow if Sanchez has a rough start.  Let the chanting begin.

Rex Ryan to Santonio: Keep quiet on Tebow-Sanchez controversy

Everyone at the New York Jets' opening day of training camp Thursday was on their best behavior and Rex Ryan intends to keep it that way.  The team— which seems to have more dramas than an episode of "Dallas"— has a quarterback controversy ready to boil over and the head coach wants his players— specifically Santonio Holmes— to turn down the heat.

Ryan publicly took on Holmes for the first time by telling his wideout to put a lid on the Tim Tebow-Mark Sanchez pot boiler and just be quiet, reports Gary Myers of the New York Daily News.

Holmes turned up the flame on the controversy when he was asked by the NFL Network if a two-quarterback system can work in the NFL.  "No," Holmes answered.  "I don't think so, because you have to let one quarterback get in the rhythm of a game."

It was the first time Ryan came down on a player for yapping about the quarterback saga— at least publicly.  The head coach has a lot [job?] riding on this season and is basing some of the Jets' wins on Tebow— the unorthodox Wildcat quarterback.

It's no secret that the Jets traded for Tebow to give the team a one-two punch with the Wildcat system and to possibly light a fire on the underachieving Sanchez.

Ryan sounded annoyed after he heard about Holmes' public assessment of the quarterback situation on ESPN earlier this week.

"I brought Santonio in here to be a receiver.  Not to be the offensive coordinator.  And that's the way I like it," added Ryan.  "I love Santonio, but if I wanted to hire him as our offensive coordinator, we would have."

Ryan— in his new Take Charge of the Team mode—said he won't let player's opinions influence his choices.

"We will make those decisions," he said.  "We will always do what we think is in the best interest of our football team."

By publicly reprimanding Holmes, Ryan might have opened up a whole other can of worms after Darrelle Revis threw his opinion into the mix.  When Revis— another recurring character in the ongoing Jets soap opera— was informed of Ryan's comments by the Daily News, the defensive back had his coach's back.

"Rex is right," he said.  "Santonio is a receiver.  So he has to play receiver. He has to stick to that.  Rex usually doesn't call out his players.  Maybe that might have been a moment where he needed to stand up for Mark and Tim."

It doesn't matter if Tebow says and does everything right by the Good Book or the playbook.  The "backup" quarterback hasn't even admitted he wants to take Sanchez's job but— as long as he is in the Cortland, N.Y. camp— Tebowmania will  polarize the fans and the team.

Sanchez invites Tebow to his 'Jets West' passing camp

 Mark Sanchez has extended an invitation to competing New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow to join him at his private passing camp in Southern California this summer.

Tim Tebow told the New York Daily News that he will be attending Sanchez's "Jets West" passing camp in a few weeks.  Sanchez, hoping to establish himself as the unquestioned leader of the offense, has extended the invitation to his backup.

The two quarterbacks— who have had every move and gesture analyzed since the team traded for the former Denver Broncos quarterback in March— will headline the annual workout.  The camp will held for five days in late June or July and will be closed to the press.

Only a small group of skill position players are ever invited to these informal workouts and Tebow was already publicly left out of the camp Santonio Holmes ran in Orlando back in April.

Sanchez— who has organized the passing camp with his family over the past two seasons— made sure to invite his teammate and purported rival.

"It's just so important to spend time together as possible," said third-string QB Greg McElroy, who will attending the week-long camp for the second year in a row.  "It's a good opportunity for us to get out of our element and do something social as a group with the benefit of working and great weather.  It's a lot of football and fun."

Eight players showed up for the inaugural camp in 2010 and doubled in size last year.  The players work out at Mission Viejo High School— Sanchez's alma mater— and the quarterback has picked up the tab for his teammates in the past— including renting fancy villas.

Besides Tebow and McElroy, nine players have told the New York Daily News they will be attending.  It is not known if Holmes— who has been running hot and cold with Tebowmania— will attend.  He skipped the camp last year.

Mark Sanchez and Santonio Holmes booed at Knicks game

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and receiver Santonio Holmes were booed loudly at Madison Square Garden during Wednesday night's Knicks-Clippers game.

While the two players attempt to patch up any differences they had last season— by being seen in public together— it sounds like New York fans aren't enthralled with either one.

Sanchez and Holmes sat together courtside and were roundly booed after they were shown on the Garden's JumboTron screen during the first quarter.  Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie also sat next to his teammates but was introduced separately.

It looked like Sanchez and Holmes were not bothered by the boos.

The two players are putting on their happy faces and palling around in an attempt to mend their relationship after it developed a rift during the 2011 season.

Holmes publicly criticized the Jets offense and put Sanchez on the spot—which prompted the quarterback to call a team meeting which Holmes didn't attend.

Sanchez vowed to repair the damaged relationship this offseason and Holmes has seemed willing to work with the fourth-year signal caller.

Holmes show of support must mean a lot to Sanchez after his receiver's public displays of disrespect towards him in the past.  But Sanchez might have to suck it up with the addition of Tim Tebow as the Jets backup quarterback.

Head coach Rex Ryan has made it clear that Sanchez is his starter but— from the sound of it— the fans might prefer the new guy.

At least Tebow had some cheers mixed in with the boos at a Yankees' game he attended last week at Yankee Stadium.

Joe Namath says Jets' dysfunction will keep Peyton Manning from joining team

Joe Namath is speaking out again and said Peyton Manning wouldn't be interested in joining the New York Jets with their current roster and locker-room dysfunction.

"The Jets have to get their things together on their own turf before someone with his background would be interested in coming," Namath, 68, who led the Jets to their only Super Bowl title, told Bloomberg News today in a telephone interview from his Florida home.

Namath was probably alluding to the Jets 8-8 finish and verbal altercations between receiver Santonio Holmes and quarterback Mark Sanchez.

The Hall of Fame quarterback is familiar with Manning's situation.  Namath also changed a team he was associated with late in his career; when he was waived by the Jets in 1977 at the age of 33.  He signed with the Los Angeles Rams and played four games in one season.

Namath started eight games for the Jets in 1976 before he was released by New York.  He said he didn't think he could have regained the starter's spot and wanted finish his career with a contender.

He said the process of leaving the Jets was "excruciating" and that he struggled to adjust to a new team and surroundings in Los Angeles.

"What was difficult for me, that I didn't appreciate, was how much all the newness could get in the way and be a distraction," he said.  "I wasn't prepared for that feeling.  the new faces, new places, new system."

Namath believes Manning's attention to detail and game preparation will allow him to adjust to a new system faster with a new team.

"I think he'll handle it much better than I did," he said.

Namath regrets leaving New York and, if he could do it again, wouldn't  have traded Broadway for Hollywood— even with 80-year-old knees and hamstrings like old rubber bands.

"I didn't know that, when I made the decision to make the move," said Namath.  "Knowing that I wasn't up to par physically, I wouldn't have left the Jets, absolutely not."

Namath has now changed his tune about the current Jets signal-caller Sanchez— whom he publicly knocked last season— and thinks he has the work ethic and skills to be the Jets quarterback for years to come.

Jets spokesman Bruce Speight sounded like someone defending their weird uncle when he responded to Bloomberg News via e-mail.

"We appreciate Joe and he is entitled to share his opinions," he said. 

Namath said that with Manning's injury last season and the availability of Andrew Luck with the No. 1 draft pick, he wasn't surprised that the 35-year-old quarterback was released.

"Your heart might be in one place, but business is business," said Namath.  "The No. 1 questions is, 'Is he going to be satisfied with the strength in his throwing arm?'"

So Broadway Joe, you can remain secure in the knowledge that you are still the best quarterback ever to wear the Jets green and white— except maybe for that Favre transient.

Rex Ryan Gets Teary-Eyed During Team Meeting

Rex Ryan joined thousands of New York Jets fans who cried in their beers Sunday after the team's season came to a monumental halt.

The day after the Jets were officially eliminated from the playoffs, the once-boastful coach humbly stood in front of his team and tearfully told them: "We must become one again."

According to the New York Post, the Jets head  coach stood in front of his players at a meeting and "pleaded" for a return of team unity and got so emotional his eyes welled with tears.

"I'm Irish," he said after the meeting. "It's hurtful.  I'm extremely prideful.  I want to be the best.  I want to win.  Sometimes it comes out like that."

Ryan had lots of reasons to let the waterworks fly.

All the high hopes the bold Ryan tried to sell his players and fans before and during the season— after making the AFC Championship game two years running— fluttered away like a Mark Sanchez pass.

The "player's head coach" lost control of his team and it came to a head when Santonio Holmes— a team captain—quit on the team during the crucial last game and sulked on the bench during the final minutes of the 19-17 loss to division rivals the Miami Dolphins.

The image of Holmes moping on the bench sums up the Jets whole season.

Ryan seemed to realize his braggadocio did little to keep the team together in the end.

"Normally, I'm a guy that really has the pulse of the team," said the now-humbled Ryan.  "I don't think I had the pulse of our team the way I [have] in the past.  When I met with players [yesterday] that became clear to me.

Has losing the final three games of a season with high expectations finally quieted the dysfunctional Jets?

Not if you believe the Post.  According to the newspaper, Bart Scott gave their photographer the finger before storming out of the meeting uttering a stream of obscenities.

Surprisingly, the maligned Holmes showed his face and sprinted from the room too.

While Ryan has turned his boasting into contrition, it does little to explain the free fall of a group of players he called "the most talented team he has had."

The players themselves blamed team chemistry.

"We need to pull together as a team," said Matt Slauson.  "There were a lot of guys just playing for themselves, because we haven't been a team all year."

Ryan said that will all change.

"In my talk to the team what I said was from the heart, and we will have that team, because that's how you win in this league," he said.  "Every team has got talent.  That's what separates  from winning and losing is a team that truly believes in each other and cares about each other.  We're going to have 53 people that believe that way."

The head coach might not be the only one in the Jets locker room to shed any tears this week.

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's job is on the line and the outlook for a few players returning doesn't look good either.

Since When Did Eli Manning Owe Plaxico Burress Anything?

Since when did Eli Manning become the villain when it comes to his relationship with Plaxico Burress?  There was a lot of talk criticizing the Giants quarterback for not reaching out to his former-wideout after Burress was released from prison and looking hook up in the NFL again.  Get over it, Manning owed Burress nothing.

Last night, the New York Giants and New York Jets played for the first MetLife trophy at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands, although most fans were billing it as The Plaxico Bowl as if the former-Giant is the real prize.

The MetLife Trophy has cute Snoopy wearing an old-school helmet on top of it.   The comic strip seemed appropriate because the game was as flat as Charlie Brown on his back after trying to kick the seductive football yanked away by Lucy.  It's like a Matt Dodge punt.

Manning threw two interceptions and Burress was a non-factor while being held to zero catches.

The Plaxico Comeback Tour stalled against his former team.

Final score of the game, Jets 17-3.  Final score of The Plaxico Bowl, 0-0.

Even Jets coach Rex Ryan tried to hype the yawner afterwards.

"It was a fun game, man.  It was two good football teams going at it," he said of the game after his team was outgained 239-113 in total yards during the 17-3 win.  "Obviously, it's a preseason game, but it's good competition."

Much was made of what the first face-to-face between Manning and Burress, leading up to the game and since the latter was sprung from the joint, would be like.  Well the meeting last night was anti-climatic.

Funny thing, they unexpectedly reunited two days earlier outside a movie theater where Burress was coming out of "The Smurfs" (no Big Blue there) with his family and he ran into Manning and former-Giants center Shaun O'Hara.  Burress said they laughed about the coincidence last night.

The highly-publicized preseason tug-of-war for the services of Burress was ultimately won by the Jets. Many Giants fans faulted Manning for not reaching out to Burress when he was a free-agent.

Sure, it's easy to make fun of Manning's "Aw, shucks" interviews, his less than flashy play on the field and how he tucks his jersey into his pants, but don't lay the blame on him.

So Manning didn't visit Burress when he was in stir or call him once he got out.  Some Giants fans thought that Manning's cold shoulder contributed to the former-Giants player to jumping over to the Jets.  He had no obligation to guide Burress.  That's what parole officers do.

Plax went to the Jets was all money--plain and simple.  A guaranteed paycheck, after you haven't worked in almost three years, will do that to a man.

While Manning represents team play and character, Burress is the prototype of how fans perceive pro athletes these days-- and it ain't all good-- unless he's pulling in touchdown passes.

Burress was Manning's favorite go-to guy leading up to their Super Bowl XLII upset victory over the New England Patriots and the wideout  caught the game-winning touchdown, but a lot of bumps came on that ride.

There were too many instances, with the Giants, where Burress boycotted practices over contract demands, didn't show up on Monday or answer his phone for days at a time.  It all culminated with the self-inflicted gun-shot incident outside a Manhattan nightclub in November 2008.  After 20 months of three squares and a bunk, Burress was ready to make his comeback and the MetLife Stadium roommates were first in line.

Suddenly, it was up to Manning to do what head coach Tom Coughlin and owner John Mara's little dinner party couldn't do-- convince Burress he was coveted by the Giants.

Maybe Manning didn't want the 34 year-old Burress and the baggage he drags along.  Even though the Giants lost All-Pro receiver Steve Smith right after Burress' defection, Manning seems happy throwing to his youthful and talented receiving corps of Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks and Domenik Hixon.  Burress, so far, seems like a good decoy for Santonio Holmes.

Manning has to back up this boast of being in Tom Brady's class and prove he isn't the 25-interception quarterback of last season.  He has done little this pre-season to prove or disprove any of that so far this summer.

Meanwhile, Burress has to keep on the straight and narrow and the Jets hope he doesn't revert back to his gangsta persona.  Michael Vick's second chance $100 million contract has to be a good incentive.

The "real" MetLife Trophy will be awarded when the two teams meet on Christmas Eve.  Hopefully, all the hype about Eli vs. Plaxico will have passed by then.

"I don't know if there are any tickets available for that Dec. 24 game," said Ryan.  "But I think we just sold them because that was typical Jets-Giants slugfest right there."

Rex Ryan Tells Jets To Behave. Antonio and Santonio Don't Get Message.

Rex Ryan said yesterday he wants his players to tone it down during the off-season and even cited his own naughty behavior as what not to do.  The gentler, kinder head coach of the New York Jets, who last year was fined by the Jets for flipping off Dolphins fans at an MMA event in Florida, "challenged" his team to play nice when they are away from the team.

In December, a foot-fetish video the coach allegedly made with his wife hit the Internet and caused a stir.

"I told them to hold each other accountable and you represent yourself, you also represent this organization on and off the field," Ryan said.  "I have to be mindful of that as well, obviously, with my past history.  Be proud to be a Jet because I know I am."

Ryan may have been feeling contrite the day after the Jets fell short in a valiant come-from-behind effort against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game and and wanted to send his team to the off-season with those precarious words.

Apparently, wide-receiver Santonio Holmes and cornerback Antonio Cromartie didn't get the head coach's edict.

The two players, who are both free agents, didn't waste time before calling out the team and their union reps, respectively.  Boy, that feel-good Jets feeling lasted a whole day.

Cromartie used the same seven-letter word he called Tom Brady to describe both the NFL management and Player's Association leaders in their dealing with their unsettled labor meetings concerning the collective bargaining agreement.

"You got our head union rep acting like an ass----," said the controversial Cromartie.  "They got their guys acting like ass-----.  So they need to get their s--- together and just get it done.  Honestly, I don't care if they get mad at me or not," he added.

"To me, you need to stop b------- about it.  If you want to say that you want to get into a room and meet, then do it," he continued.  "Don't just talk about it."

Losing the AFC Championship Game for the second year in-a-row must have gotten to the the soon-to-be restricted free-agent Holmes as well.  He wasn't so happy with the Jets offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer.

Holmes openly questioned the Schott's questionable play calling and use of the wide receiver after Sunday's loss..

"Ask Coach Schottenheimer what was the reason behind [me sitting out the start of the game]," said the disgruntled Holmes.  "I had to just go with the game plan.  That's the way things were called at the time, and that's what I had to do."

Ryan backed up his OC by saying Holmes' comments were out of order but understood the receivers anger.

"That's not the way I like to operate,"  the head coach said,  "But [Holmes' comments] were just raw.  That's the emotion of the time."  Dr. Phil couldn't have handled it better.

Ryan may have a harder time explaining Schottenheimer's major fail with his rally-killing calls at the Steelers' two-yard line, trailing 24-10 with four downs in hand.

Three downs later, with a fourth and goal from the one, Schottsie gives the ball to LaDanian Tomlinson--who had already rushed for a grand total of 12 yards--instead of the power back Shonn Greene.  Greene stands on the sideline and watches LT get stuffed at the line.  Momentum gone for the Jets and ball back to the Steelers.

The soft-spoken Greene must have gotten Ryan's New Age Jets tweet.  He didn't say anything.

While the Jets put on a new happy face and put all their sex scandals,  DUI's,  trash talking and "Hard Knocks" behind them,  New Yorkers gets bored.

The Giants folded like...well the Giants in December and the Knicks are regressing back into the Nets. And hockey, who cares?

The 2010 Jets will be missed especially Rex Ryan.  No more giving fingers in bars or tickling feet on YouTube.  It's a sadder world to think that we'll only have the new thinner and pacifying version of Rex Ryan playing patty-cake with everyone.

From "Hard Knocks" to "Love Taps."