Rex Ryan: I’ve never seen anything like last night’s nightmare

AP

During a crazy stretch in the second quarter of Thursday night’s game, the Patriots scored on an 83-yard yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Shane Vereen, then scored a 32-yard touchdown on a return of a fumble on the second play of the Jets’ next possession, then scored a 22-yard touchdown on a return of a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. In less than one minute, the Patriots outscored the Jets 21-0.

Throw in a Wes Welker touchdown at the start of the second quarter and another Edelman touchdown later in the second quarter, and the Patriots went on a 35-0 run while millions of Americans nodded off into tryptophan-induced sleep. Rex Ryan couldn’t sleep through it, but he called it a nightmare nonetheless.

“Obviously watching the tape, it’s still hard to fathom the one stretch,” Ryan said today, in comments distributed by the Jets’ PR staff. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Coaching football or even following football, I’ve never seen anything like that. It was a game, looking at the tape, we did some good things, especially offensively early in the game and to have that stretch it’s just amazing. I don’t know how else to put it. I think I said nightmare last night and I’ll stick with that because it’s just hard to imagine, but that happened.”

Asked if he has ever seen a team turn the ball over as many times as the Jets did while they were handing the game away in the first half, Ryan says he hasn’t.

“I’ve never seen it. I can’t recall ever seeing that,” Ryan said.

Ryan may continue seeing it, however, in his nightmares.

Reuters

The Ravens overhauled their defense this offseason, without being awash in salary cap room.

They did it by knowing when to let go, trading expensive-but-old Anquan Boldin, cutting Bernard Pollard and holding the door open for free agents Dannell Ellerbe, Paul Kruger, Ed Reed and Cary Williams.

And with more big moves on the horizon for next offseason, the Ravens are already looking ahead at another sticky cap situation.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens have nearly $71 million of next year’s cap committed to six players (that would be 58 percent of this year’s $123 million limit, and the cap isn’t expected to rise dramatically).

That includes a team-high $16 million for Haloti Ngata, and $12.4 million for Terrell Suggs, both of whom are coming off injuries which limited their effectiveness last season.

So even though they’re looking at another crop of key free agents (Dennis Pitta, Ed Dickson, Michael Oher, Arthur Jones, Corey Graham), they’re confident about being able to keep the right parts together.

“I think the thing we want to do is just live in the moment right now,” assistant G.M. Eric DeCosta said. “Those guys are under contract. They’re all outstanding players. They’re some of the very best players at their position in the league. We just want to play this year. We’ll let those decisions wait until the future.

“We have a lot of flexibility with the cap. [Negotiator] Pat Moriarty and Ozzie do a phenomenal job of making tough decisions. We’ve made a lot of tough decisions over the last couple of years. They’re hard decisions to make. Any time you have to cut a player or let a player go in free agency because of the salary cap, it’s tough to do that.”

Having so many key players hit free agency at the same time is the bane of drafting well. But as the Ravens have shown this offseason, they’re not above letting guys walk and drafting a replacement, or plugging one in whom they drafted a year ago.

That kind of year-ahead thinking and successful drafting is the reason they won a Super Bowl, but have remained competitive for more than one season at a time.

AP

At a time when the NFL wants to get more people from other countries interested in pro football, the best strategy could be getting more people from other countries playing pro football.

As recently explained by Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com, the NFL has seen a gradual increase in the addition of foreign players, with 10 players born outside the U.S. drafted last month.  Five of them, including fifth overall pick Ziggy Ansah, were picked in the first two rounds.

Since all played college football in the U.S., it means the NFL found these players in the traditional way.  At some point, the NFL could be at the front lines of searching for players beyond our borders.

“We may be at the tip of the iceberg with this,” Falcons G.M. Thomas Dimitroff told Marvez.  “Some very talented athletes from other countries as they learn our game and nuances will begin to excel more than others have in the past.

“I think we’ve become a lot more open-minded to the fact we will invite players outside of our country where there was once a stigma attached about not having a true understanding of football.  We now say that while they may not have a true understanding yet, the potential athleticism and phenotype suggest there’s some serious upside.”

The goal becomes finding large men who can do what NFL players need to do, and then teaching them how to do it.  “There are big, fast, strong athletes with upside to grow into NFL players,” Dimitroff said.  “These guys may someday be coming in waves.”

Of course, getting more people in other countries interested in football will result in more NFL body types finding the game, instead of the game having to find them.  As more foreign players make their way to America, more will become aware of the path.  Also, as more NFL football is played in places other than America, more will become aware of the game.

One major step in that direction would be the recognition of football by the International Olympic Committee.  Per Marvez, a ruling on the International Federation of American Football’s pending application is expected by June.  Eventually, a seven-on-seven version of football could become the global version of the game.

Whether it’s seven or 11 or any other number, the more exposure the game with the uniquely shaped ball gets in other countries, the more potential NFL players can be found from other places.

Of course, those who balk at the NFL taking “our” game to other countries will surely complain about players from other countries taking NFL jobs.  But the obsession with winning will take coaches and General Managers anywhere for potential players, proving once again that a system based exclusively on merit is the best way to ensure diversity and inclusion.

AP

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is reaching an age when many quarterbacks decline, but Brady believes that he’s a better passer right now than he ever has been before.

Brady told Peter King of Sports Illustrated that he’s been working on the mechanics of throwing with former Major League Baseball pitcher Tom House, and Brady believes that work has made him better at the most fundamental part of his job than he was at any other point in his career.

“Going into my 14th year, I have never had more confidence in how I am throwing the football,” Brady said. “I’ve never felt better throwing the football.”

Brady sought out House, who has worked with other quarterbacks, after Brady’s close friend and mentor Tom Martinez died last year. Brady credits Martinez and House with making him the passer he is.

“I owe so much to Tom Martinez,” Brady said. “He taught me so much about how to play the game and throw the football. He was so committed to me for so many years. I miss him every time I step on the field. I found Tom House, and really developed a rapport with him quickly. I’ve learned, and to me, the learning process is fun. The same way Tom Martinez was always there to watch and give me corrections, Tom House has told me why certain corrections need to be made.”

Brady believes he’s a better quarterback now than he was four months ago.

“When you’ve got to fit it into the tightest windows, mechanics are crucial,” Brady said. “And to me, the offseason is crucial. If you make a throw within four feet, that’s not going to be good enough. You have to make the throw within four inches of your target. That’s good enough. And that’s why the mechanics you adjust and learn in the offseason are important. You’re going to keep them during the season. Tom House, pretty soon after the season, said basically, ‘All right, Tommy. Get to work.’ That’s the one thing that helps me move forward. There’s nothing we can do about losing the championship game to the Ravens. It sucks. You move on. But, with Tom, I think I’ve learned some things this offseason that are really going to help me.”

Brady will turn 36 in August, but he’s under contract with the Patriots through 2017, and he sounds like he’s expecting to play good football for at least five more years.

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If Bills quarterback EJ Manuel isn’t ready to start as of Week One, it won’t be because he doesn’t understand the offense.

Manuel told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Saturday that he has figured out the system used by coach Doug Marrone and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

“The funny thing is it’s easier to learn than the offense I had at Florida State,” the 16th overall pick in the draft said, via ESPN.com.  “It’s a true West Coast-type progression offense.  That’s really what I wanted when I was coming through the pre-draft process.  I wanted something that I could just go in and say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, check it down and run it.  That’s it, it’s that simple.  I love it. . . .

“The learning curve for me is a lot shorter simply because of what I had at Florida State.  [The Seminoles' offense is] more complex and a little bit harder to catch on and learn.  This offense is very simple.  I’ve done a great job with it.”

There’s a certain irony in Nathaniel Hackett running a simple offense, because his father, Paul, was notorious for using complex and convoluted playbooks and systems.

While the Bills don’t seem ready to thrust Manuel into the starting role, it’s hard to justify using a first-round pick on a quarterback and not using him right out of the gates.  It will be even harder with Manuel making clear that he has mastered the playbook.

AP

While it’s unclear whether it’s happening at the behest of the team or the player, Chargers rookie linebacker Manti Te’o has escaped, to date, the reach of the media assembled at the team’s offseason workouts.

Yes, the guy who sat with Jeremy Schaap and Katie Couric in the immediate aftermath of the fake-dead-girlfriend-who-turned-out-to-be-a-dude scandal in January has been ducking the media, now that he’s in the NFL and the Lennay Kukua debacle has faded considerably from view.

Matt Calkins of U-T San Diego addresses the situation, arguing that Te’o should deal with the media sooner rather than later.  And Calkins is right.  The interactions can be delayed, but they can’t be prevented. 

Te’o has been made available to the press once, after the team’s initial rookie minicamp workout earlier this month.  Since then, reporters have had no access to Te’o.

Talking to the media goes with the territory.  The league wants teams and players to cooperate with the media because media coverage creates the best kind of marketing — organic and free.  And the money Manti will make under his rookie deal comes in large part from the machine into which the media helps shovel coal.

If Te’o has gotten to the point where he can show up at the party commemorating a list of the world’s 100 hottest women that includes Kukua, Te’o can handle the media.

Even if he can’t, he’ll have to.  Like it or not, it’s part of the price of playing pro football.

AP

The first rookie drafted this year by the Jets was also the first rookie drafted by the Jets to hire a new agent.

Cornerback Dee Milliner, who fired Tony Fleming and Mitch Frankel last week, has hired Pat Dye and Bill Johnson, per multiple reports.  The move comes at a time when quarterback Geno Smith has gone nearly three weeks without hiring a new agent.

It was believed that Milliner would hire Dye from the moment the ninth overall pick in the draft moved on from Fleming and Frankel.

Per at least one report, Milliner made the move because he wasn’t taken in the top five.  A source with knowledge of the situation has told PFT that Milliner’s draft position was not the reason for the change.

It shouldn’t have been.  Unlike Smith, whom at least one reporter declared to be a top-five lock in the days prior to the draft, Milliner didn’t plunge to No. 39.  Instead, Milliner went in the top 10.

Given the rookie wage scale, the financial difference between No. 5 and No. 9 isn’t as sharp as it used to be.  Moreover, if Milliner ends up being a great player, he’ll have more off-field earning opportunities in New York.

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With a fourth arm surgery looming on Monday, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski made the decision that millions have made when choosing their pre-surgical activities.

Gronk decided not to go to Las Vegas.

Originally, he was going, on what a jet-sharing service that will get no more free publicity here called via mass emails sent Friday afternoon a “once in a lifetime opportunity to spend time with a living Patriots legend,” with four seats in the cabin of a private jet.

The jet-sharing service that will get no more free publicity here tweeted that Gronkowski canceled the trip.  It’s the second smartest thing Gronkowski has done during his three years in the NFL, behind his sell-high-in-hindsight decision to sign a long-term deal after only two NFL seasons.

Gronkowski will undergo forearm surgery on Monday, and it’s regarded as probable that back surgery will occur three or four weeks from now.  So there’s still time for a another pre-op jaunt to Sin City.

AP

Regarded as this year’s possible small-school sleeper, running back Miguel Maysonet won’t end up being a steal for the Eagles.

We’ve confirmed that the Eagles will waive Maysonet, a standout at Stony Brook who signed with Philly as an undrafted free agent.

The move has sparked speculation of a possible disconnect between coach Chip Kelly and G.M. Howie Roseman, given that it’s believed Maysonet received a five-figure signing bonus to pick the Eagles.  While arguably premature, there’s even more reason to keep an eye on how the Kelly-Roseman relationship unfolds.

The move also underscores the importance of offseason workouts.  Despite reduced physicality and intensity under the 2011 CBA, the things a player does or doesn’t do in the early days of OTAs can prompt a coach to pull the plug on a player who presumed he’d at least get a chance to prove himself during training camp and the preseason.

For Maysonet, if it happens, it’ll happen somewhere else.

AP

The Vikings’ attempt to re-sign cornerback Antoine Winfield to a more cap-friendly contract failed when Winfield went to Seattle, but one of the cornerbacks who remains in Minnesota doesn’t think the team will miss him too much.

“I definitely don’t see that being the case this year. We’ve got a lot of young, hungry guys. We put in a lot of extra time and we communicate very well and we spend a lot of time together bonding,” cornerback Chris Cook said, via Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com. ”I don’t think we’ll be what people think we’ll be. I think we’ll be probably, most definitely a top secondary this year.”

It’s shaping up to be a big season for Cook. The former second-round pick has shown talent over the years, but he’s only played in 22 games over his first three seasons because of injuries and a suspension in 2011 after a domestic violence arrest. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Cook has plenty of motivation to both play well and stay on the field. The Vikings’ chances of having a top secondary will be much better if the man making the prediction can do those two things.

With Xavier Rhodes coming to the team in the first round last month, the Vikings now have a pair of big corners to throw out against the likes of Calvin Johnson and Brandon Marshall in the NFC North. That’s brought with it talk of increased press coverage, which would give Cook plenty of chances to show he can lead the kind of secondary he thinks the Vikings have in 2013.

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The Mt. Rushmore nomination process migrates to the AFC West, and starts with the two-time defending division champs in Denver.

Nominate your favorite all-time Broncos for the list of 10-12 finalists, from which four will eventually be culled.

John Elway, check.

After that, it’s not so easy.  Rod Smith, Floyd Little.  Terrell Davis, Shannon Sharpe.  Randy Gradishar.  Steve Atwater.  Champ Bailey.  Pat Bowlen.

For now, just make your nominations.  The hard part for the Broncos (and plenty of other multiple Super Bowl-winning teams) comes later.

AP

The Bills and rookie wide receiver Robert Woods have come to terms on a contract, ESPN.com’s James Walker reported Sunday.

One of the Bills’ two second-round picks, Woods joins a receiving corps that has a clear go-to target in Stevie Johnson. Woods, Marquise Goodwin and T.J. Graham are among the contenders for playing time opposite of Johnson.

The 21-year-old Woods was exceptionally productive at Southern Cal, catching 252 passes for 2,930 yards and 32 touchdowns in three seasons. He declared for the draft with one season of eligibility left.

According to Walker, Woods is expected to sign the deal in the coming days.

AP

On Friday morning, we reported that Peyton Manning’s supposedly “renegotiated” contract resulted in no actual renegotiation.  The deal merely was tweaked to reflect that the Broncos had purchased $10 million of insurance, aimed at protecting the Broncos against the possibility of paying Manning $20 million in 2014 for not playing due to a non-neck injury suffered in 2013.

A source with knowledge of the situation has reiterated to PFT that, despite reports elsewhere to the contrary, the deal did not change.  However, the NFL’s interpretation of it did.

Manning’s original deal contains a $5 million salary advance of 2013 pay and a $5 million salary advance for 2014 compensation.  The league initially didn’t treat the advances as signing bonuses, which gets prorated.

The new deal, which didn’t change the payments or the structure of the deal, prompted the NFL to treat the payments differently.  As a result, the league has applied the $10 million in salary advances in $2.5 million equal chunks over the final four years of the contract.   The cap numbers for 2013 and 2014 have dropped from $20 million to $17.5 million, and the cap numbers for 2015 and 2016 have jumped from $19 million to $21.5 million.

To illustrate the league’s adjusted valuation of the deal, Manning’s initial contract included a $6 million salary advance in 2012, but the NFL didn’t spread that amount over the five years of the contract when the deal was processed.  Instead, the salary advance was included within the $18 million base salary/cap number for 2012.

So the deal in no way changed.  But the league’s new treatment of it gives the Broncos some unexpected cap relief in 2013 and 2014.

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Texans linebacker Brooks Reed is “100 percent” after January groin surgery and was able to work out ahead of the beginning of the club’s organized team practice activities, Reed told Dave Zangaro of CSNHouston on Sunday.

Reed told CSNHouston.com he has been lifting weights and running in the last three weeks.

“It shouldn’t be anything to worry about,” Reed said. “It happened in the past and got over it. Worked hard rehabbing it so we’re at 100 percent right now and looking to improve during OTAs.”

That Reed had some sort of surgery came to light recently when Wade Phillips disclosed it during an interview with 610 AM in Houston. However, we didn’t know the nature of the procedure.

Now we do. And as Reed tells it, all is well as the Texans prepare to begin OTAs Monday.

AP

Geno Smith is learning, and in a hurry.

And that has only partially to do with football, but everything to do with how he deals with the attention he’s going to be getting as a Jets quarterback.

Smith said reports about his immature behavior before and after the draft were “inaccurate,” during an interview with Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com and Jim Miller on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

“It’s just eye-opening. It allows you to see exactly what business you’re in,” Smith said. “I understand it’s part of my job to handle that. I’m going to take it in stride and do all the things that are necessary to make me and my team look good.”

Good luck with that.

From reports about his draft weekend travel plans, to the criticism he’s taken for switching agents, Smith thinks he’s been unfairly portrayed.

“From the standpoint of me being a diva, you talk to my teammates and coaches from Little League. Nobody will say that,” Smith said. “From the standpoint that I switched agents because of where I fell in the draft, I’m not naive. I understand an agent can’t get you selected higher or lower. It’s based on what teams need and the decisions they make in the front office.

“Just the whole draft experience and everything that went down, I was supposed to be leaving the draft and all that stuff, that was inaccurate again. There were a lot of things that were said that were anonymous and inaccurate. But all that comes with [the territory]. I’m built for it, so I’m not really worried about it.”

Given the Jets’ recent dysfunction, he has an opportunity to not only win a starting job, but to make himself look good in the process simply by being the new guy. He’s prematurely predicted playoffs, but he’s never butt fumbled, which gets him off to a good start.

But to succeed, he’s going to have to prove he can handle both responsibility and criticism, because both are coming.

AP

On Monday, the Broncos will practice for the first time as a team since capping a stellar regular season with an epic postseason collapse, thanks to a 70-yard touchdown pass that allowed the Ravens to force overtime.

The throw from Joe Flacco landed in the hands of Jacoby Jones because Denver safety Rahim Moore jumped too soon and flailed clumsily at the ball.  After, of course, Moore allowed Jones to run right past the safety.

But the Broncos are still sticking with Moore.  From coaches to players, Moore has been absolved of responsibility.

“I think he’s over it; I think we’re all over it, you know,” Denver defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio told the Associated Press.  “I think we all look back and see things that we could have done better.”

Linebacker Von Miller take responsibility for not getting to Flacco before he could launch the desperation pass.

“Rahim made a few key tackles that day. He was all over the place. It was just a football folly,” Miller said. “I don’t blame Rahim.  I blame me and Elvis [Dumervil]: 70 yards to go, we know they’re going to pass the ball.  That’s why they bring me and Elvis to close the game out and neither of us got to the quarterback.  I took it hard.”

Coach John Fox and executive V.P. of football operations John Elway both believe that Moore’s better days are in front of him.

“Rahim’s focus is on getting better from a year ago,” Fox said. “And there wasn’t one play.  It was a whole season.  He made great, great progress a year ago from his rookie year and we anticipate him to do that again.  He’s a very talented young man.”

“[H]e made tremendous strides from Year One to Year Two,” executive V.P. of football operations John Elway said.  “And I think hopefully he makes those same strides.  He really had a good year last year and we want to watch him to continue to grow.  Safety-wise, we feel pretty good.”

But not good enough to resist kicking the tires of Charles Woodson.

While there’s no reason for the Broncos to bail on a second-round pick in the 2011 draft, Moore’s ability to forget after having months to stew will be critical to whether he can continue to play at a high level — and to keep getting better.

If he does, last year’s gaffe will become a distant memory.  A very bad, awful memory, but distant nonetheless.