Jets get a dose of reality in Jacksonville

By Chris Ruddick Oct 10, 2006, 19:55 GMT

- To say the New York Jets were not at their best on Sunday in Jacksonville is kind of like saying Alex Rodriguez has a small problem hitting in the postseason.

The Jets were dominated in every facet of the game on Sunday, as the Jacksonville Jaguars pounded them, 41-0. And to be honest, it was not even that close.

Chad Pennington had perhaps his worst game as a pro, and was 10-for-17 for 71 yards with three interceptions and an abysmal career-low 28.9 passer rating. All three of his picks resulted in Jacksonville touchdowns.

'The good thing is, this doesn't count double or triple. It's just one loss,' said Pennington, who was pulled late in the game in favor of rookie Kellen Clemens.

Pennington was certainly not the only reason the Jets struggled, as the run defense continued to be atrocious and allowed a season-high 181 yards on the ground.

'They just physically beat us up and out-executed us,' Jets head coach Eric Mangini said. 'It was every phase of the game: it was offense, it was defense, it was special teams, and it was coaching.'

The drubbing was the third-worst shutout in the 47-year history of the franchise. The last time they were blanked this badly was a 43-0 loss to the Dolphins in 1975.

'It's embarrassing, but not because it's history,' Brandon Moore said. 'Anytime you get your butt kicked like that, it's embarrassing. Whether it's the worst in 40 years or one year, it's embarrassing.'

If there was a bright spot it was the play of rookie running back Leon Washington, who had 23 carries for 101 yards, the first 100-yard effort of his young career.

When you lose by 41 points, though, it is kind of hard to find the silver lining. I think linebacker and co-captain Matt Chatham described the day the best.

'The biggest thing is for guys to take ownership of this and say, 'Absolutely everyone in this room sucked. The coaches sucked. The players sucked. We all sucked.''

COLES POPS OFF

The Jets' offensive MVP thus far this season has been not Pennington, but wideout Laveranues Coles. So why was he on the bench for so much of the Jets' embarrassing loss?

'I played very few plays,' Coles said. 'That's something you have to ask Coach about. I don't know why.'

Sure you can make the argument that it was a blowout and Coles was already a little banged up heading into the game, prompting Mangini to sit him. If that was the case, though, why was his ultra-brittle starting quarterback in the game until the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter?

'Anytime I'm not on the field, I'm frustrated,' Coles said. 'It's something they (the coaches) have to deal with. It's not me...I have a role to play. I play it. That's it. I'm just a pawn in a chess game. They move me here and there. They ask me to do something, and I do it.'

Coles, who grew up in Jacksonville, entered the game as the NFL's co-leader with 30 receptions, but was held to a season-low three catches for 19 yards on Sunday.

'I've been watching TV where guys have been saying things and they have to come back and say they're sorry,' said Coles, who was making an apparent reference to Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey. 'I don't ever want to end up on that side of it. I don't want people to think I'm a bad apple.'

FIRST-QUARTER STRUGGLES

The Jets continued to get outplayed through the first 15 minutes of the game. After Sunday's debacle, they have gone 19 games without scoring a touchdown on their opening possession. That was also the last time the Jets scored an offensive TD in the first quarter.

New York has been outscored, 35-0, in the first quarter this season.

UP NEXT

The Jets get back to their AFC East slate this week, as they welcome the struggling Miami Dolphins to the Meadowlands. New York holds a 41-38-1 lead in their all-time series with Miami, including a home-and-home split with their longtime rivals last season. New York scored a 17-7 win at the Meadowlands in Week 2, and the Dolphins returned the favor with a 24-20 home triumph in Week 15. The Dolphins' last road win in the series came in 2003, when they won both ends of the home-and-home.

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