By Tom Rock
Just got off the conference call with Bills head coach Dick Jauron. This guy makes Mangini seem like Dean Martin with a lampshade on his head. Jauron was nice enough, and he tried to answer the questions as best he could, but his speaking pace and tone made everybody listening a little tired. QB J.P. Losman was also on the conference call and I'll be that he won't have a career as a motivational speaker once his playing days are over. The Jets’ best chance to win on Sunday may be if Jauron gives a 20-minute pre-game pep talk.
A lot of similarities between the two teams this week. Both the Bills and Jets are teams that are rebuilding but have also found a bit of success early in the season. No one would have batted an eye if either team was 0-2 at this point. They also share the misery of coming close to beating the Patriots. Of course, the Bills have been able to run the football. The Jets, not so much.
I’d be stunned if Cedric Houston is not active this week, even if it is just to shake things up in the backfield. I’m not saying Houston is the answer to all the problems the Jets are having running the ball. But it can’t hurt to try different looks now because in the following two weeks, against Indy and Jacksonville, it really won’t matter who the Jets put back there.
There have been some musings about putting Brad Smith at running back, but I don’t see that happening.
This just in: The Jets issued their injury report a few minutes ago. Trey Teague is still doubtful, though he continues to dress for practices and Mangini said he could be ready to play on Sunday. David Barrett, Laveranues Coles, Tim Dwight and Pete Kendall are all questionable. Dave Ball, Matt Chatham, Chad Pennington, Kerry Rhodes and Kimo von Oelhoffen are listed as probable, and all of them practiced on Wednesday.
Comments (5)
We should dump all those running backs and pick up Michael Turner from the Charger
We have 5 backs on the team and not one is good between or outside the tackles
Please make a trade for Mike Turner
You got a better chance of getting Barry Sanders to come out of retirement than the Chargers giving up Turner. They are a legitimate playoff team, and no way they give up a player that good when they have a chance with that defense to win it all.
Tom, do you think Mangini is ready to start mixing in, if not completely going to, the 4-3 on defense?
We don't seem to have the right players for the 3-4. We're getting killed up frot and need ot be able to stop the run to kill those long clock draining drives.
Frank
Turner seems like he has a lot of talent, but was a low round pick who has never handled full time duty, tough to give up the high pick it will take to land him for an unproven back, already wasted one pick for Barlow. Be patient, not winning the super bowl this year, live with the current roster and draft a runner next year.
Tom,
What's with all the Cimini bashing? You're one of his peers, is he just an unlikeable guy?