1) Jets waive Turner- On Wednesday the New York Jets announced that they have waived wide receiver Patrick Turner. Turner has been bouncing back and forth from the practice squad so it would not be surprising to see him re-signed in the near future.
2) Smith out, Lowery in- Safety Eric Smith has been ruled out for Sunday’s game due to a concussion and will be replaced by Dwight Lowery. This is a tough break for Smith who was set to get some serious playing time while replacing Jim Leonhard. At the same time this is a huge opportunity for Lowery, who was playing the safety position very well when given the chance during the preseason.
3) Alosi situation a mess- New York Jets strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi is now being suspended indefinitely as new information has emerged regarding the tripping incident against the Dolphins. The Jets are stating that Alosi informed the inactive players to form a wall on the sideline. Of course Gang Green is communicating that Alosi acted on his own and that Rex Ryan and special teams coach Mike Westhoff had no part in the plan.
As Keyshawn Johnson likes to say: “C’mon Man!” You mean to tell me that Rex Ryan has no knowledge of acts that are happening on his own sideline? Not even one that is 3 feet away? Who are we kidding here? Every move is calculated in the NFL as teams are always trying to find a way to get a competitive advantage. Looks to me like Alosi is becoming a fall guy for Rex and Co. I can assure you one thing, if the Jets keep losing this locker room will turn into a circus.
4) Playoff scenarios- Here are the ways the Jets can clinch a playoff spot this weekend, courtesy of the NFL.
New York Jets clinch a playoff spot with:
NYJ win + MIA loss or tie + IND loss or tie + KC loss OR
NYJ win + MIA loss or tie + IND loss or tie + SD loss or tie OR
NYJ tie + MIA loss + IND loss or tie + SD loss
There are other scenarios in which the Jets may clinch a playoff spot if they clinch the strength of victory tiebreaker over certain teams this weekend.
5) Sanchez not being benched- It is amazing how certain media outlets can take a simple quote and blow it up into a huge story. For example yesterday Rex Ryan addressed the possibility of benching Mark Sanchez. Here is the quote:
On if he will consider benching Sanchez if it gives the team a better chance at the playoffs…
“That’s with any player. There has been times when we’ve had to pull our starting corner out. Maybe this wasn’t his day or maybe he needs to watch for a little bit. That’s really (the case) with anybody. I’ll always do what’s in the best interests of the football team. Do I think that’s a real possibility? I think Mark Sanchez is our quarterback. If he really has struggled for whatever reason, would I make a move? Yes, if I thought it was the best thing for our team.”
Following this quote there were several reports that the Jets were ready to bench Sanchez. I understand that the Jets are under the spotlight right now, but lets try to keep some things in perspective. Sanchez is a young quarterback that is struggling a little bit. It is all part of the development process. At the same time Mark is not alone when it comes to making costly mistakes on offense. Has anyone asked about benching a receiver for his repeated dropped passes? Or how about a lineman who misses several key blocks during a game? The fact of the matter is that the offense as a whole is struggling. If the entire unit does not get their act together the Jets will not make the playoffs.
At some point it would be nice to see Rex Ryan get pissed off during an interview and push back at the media. There are definitely times, like now, where Ryan’s media friendly ways are going to bite him in the rear. Sometimes less is more Rex, especially when your team is under the gun.