Date: 8.18.2010
Channel: HBO
Time: 10 p.m. EST
In episode two of this six-part series. HBO opened with the destruction of Giants Stadium with Bruce Springsteen's "Wrecking Ball" playing. They used this footage to move forward and do a nice segue into this season, with the Jets practicing in Cortland in preparation for Monday night's preseason game with the Giants. Secondary coach Dennis Thurman spoke to LB Bart Scott, telling him he thought the rookies were underperforming and not doing their homework by studying playbook and film.
Follow me after the jump for the entire breakdown.
Spoiler Alert --- Recap DOES contain spoilers.
Initiation for Rookies:
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-Rex during a press conference - "We're not quite where we're need to be... but we'll get it,"
- DC Mike Pettine kept it real and told the young guys how the Jets do business. Telling them that if they weren't playing up to par, that hey could easily get other guys to replace them, and it's how they do things. "We find 'em, and we cut the rest of 'em, so don't make it easy for us."
- Talks of RB Joe McKnight throwing up and how he failed conditioning test at rookie camp. The episode portrayed McKnight as a guy who sometimes has flashes of brilliance as he did in college, but who has not found consistency yet. Coaching staff made some disconcerting comments, and RB coach Anthony Lynn said sometimes he doesn't know where his head is at.
- Brian Schottenheimer: "He has to be more consistent."
McKnight to Anthony Lynn, after why he messed up: "I ain't f---ing hurting or nothing, I aint tired." In response, Lynn said, "The details are f---ing slipping."
Secondary coach Dennis Thurman, in talking w/LB Bart Scott, jokes that McKnight went to the "new" wave USC.
More Cortland Bits:
- -Rex to a female assistant who brings him a giant bag of M&M's: "What took you so long? It was an emergency." The assistant tells him she had to find them, and that she hid them good. Jets' coaching staff then jokes and asks about how two cases of M&M's disappeared quickly.
Rex: "History speaks for itself."
- Sanchez orders a couple of pizzas, and jokes to the pizza delivery guy that the ranch cups should be free, and not cost 59 cents.
- -"Schottenheimer on Brunell"--- "Careful, he's old!"
- Sanchez talks about everyone clowning on Brunell about his age in camp, but takes a serious tone afterwards and says that he can still sling it. Rex says "he can be a mentor to Mark." Sanchez later jokes about Vaseline being on the football during a certain play, and Brunell comes through with a great quote: "It ain't the arrow, it's the Indian."=
- Sanchez and Brunell then joke about Brunell's daughter, who is just starting college and close to Mark's age. Brunell laughs and says he's not introducing Sanchez to her because she saw a picture and thinks he's cute, lol.
- Sanchez likes orange things - "orange tic tacs, orange Icees."
- Marty Schottenheimer upon visiting practice- "You know the one thing I always said about the quarterback, right? The guy who as a rookie performs at a certain level, it's the next year that you get to him to play at the same level, you've made progress."
- Brian Schottenheimer almost looked like he was over-coaching Sanchez a bit at one point, and it got to the youngin'. Schotty was trying to give in the specifics behind a play pre-snap, and Sanchez said "Alright, Alright!" As if to say ‘ok, it's enough already, let me do this.' It also seemed Sanchez had a rough day of practice that day. Afterwards, Sanchez received a lesson from the coaching staff on how to take criticism with an open mind, and to listen to his coaches.
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Fast-Forward to a bleak moment, with media asking Woody Johnson and Mike Tannenbaum about Revis. The result? -Both sides agreeing on media blackout, with all contract talks now confidential.
Woody - "The answer is no." on whether or not he is optimistic the deal can get done this season. "My impression is no progress," he said.
Mike Tannenbaum on where both sides are at - "We have a fundamental difference..." - From talking about Revis, Rex moved on to talk about the rest of our secondary, and spoke with Dennis Thurman about CB Kyle Wilson. It seems Rex really likes him, and says he talks as much as Jim Leonhard does, and it seems like he is already trying to take on a leadership role. Great sign.
- Thurman on Wilson: "Right now he's running with the 1's.... he's not running with Darrelle, but who is?"
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On to Antonio Cromartie, as he picks off a pass In practice.
Cameras flash back to Jets/Chargers playoff game last year where Shonn Greene ran over Cromartie, and how he was criticized for the missed tackle on the TD. We then see Dennis Thurman having a talk with Cromartie, trying to tell him he needs to be consistent and make plays all the time. - We then segue into Cromartie's family life, as he names all of his EIGHT kids --- his most recent "Jersey" who he had with his new wife, Terricka. They then goofed around and ride some indoor water slides, and Cro talks about his fear of heights.
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Next, we transition into hearing some fluffy, goofy music, as Kris Jenkins drives a golf part and looked like he was having the time of his life. With a smile on his face the entire time, this quick 10 second goofy part had viewers cracking up laughing.
- Back to practice, where LT leapt over the top of a pile and into the endzone for a TD. A good thing to see, as Rex and coaches joke about how LT is ‘washed up' while watching it on film. A shot at San Diego for their lack of faith in him, perhaps?
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Segue to a more somber moment with Special Teams' guru Mike Westhoff, who had 9 major surgeries and has bone cancer in his legs. Says he used crutches, braces, everything, and also says his legs are metal. Amazing what he does out there... really...
- MORE LAUGHS - ‘Shake Weights' were delivered to the team. Punter Drew Weatherford played a practical joke, and ordered 100 for the team. He joked about how it would go on to be the tool to Jets' success. Coach Westhoff worked out with the 'Shake Weight,' LT scratched his back with it, and Sanchez jokingly tossed it to Keller. He wanted no part of that thing!
- The Mangold-Jenkins battle was highlighted, and we actually saw Mangold drive and throw Jenkins to the ground, winning the battle on that play.
- Segue to Vernon Gholston, as HBO cued the sad, dreary music. Talks of how Gholston switched from OLB to DE, and how he struggled in camp during the first week this year. HOWEVER, Rex was high on him, and in speaking with DL Coach Mark Carrier. Rex said he was hitting well and getting off blocks, as we saw him even getting off a block and getting by Damien Woody. Rex talks about how Gholston is a great teammate and volunteered to take a pay cut this year to bring guys on the team, and says that now that he moved to DE, Gholston is ‘ready to play football.'
- Gholston got into a fight with Rob Turner which was staged by coaches to get him fired up, and actually threw Turner to the ground. Rex was cracking up laughing, and saying "this is his best day," and "...my man's here." An interesting ploy that the coaching staff used to light a fire under Gholston. (Does anyone else love how Rex gets these guys to play with passion? What a motivator..)
- Rex discussed the NFL's uniform policy in about three seconds: "Wear your uniforms...." "...now let's go to the movies." Rex was upset because they went there and he had to get a small popcorn with no butter, keeping to his diet.
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Back to FB John Conner. T-Rich talks about how much Conner loves to hit.
Monday Night Football: - Fast Forward to Monday's preseason opener against the Giants, and Woody taking a picture with a Giants fan, telling her to 'convert.'
- Rex: "New stadium, gonna whip some ass in it today."
- Schottenheimer to the team: "Play like a Jet, fast and physical."
- Sanchez looked a lot more confident and was speaking with more bravado than last year when he took the field -- in his demeanor, in the huddle, and in his voice. You could just sense it, a great sign, as it shows he is becoming the leader we need behind center, he is maturing.
- This is why you have veterans like Brunell. Sanchez to Brunell after his early interception: "That's a heck of the way to start the year off. " Brunell : "It's not the year, it's the preseason." Sanchez appeared more calm after, and said "Thanks Mark," as the second-year QB appeared to shake it off and become focused once again.
- Westhoff called for S Eric Smith to free rush up the middle, to attempt to block the punt. Smith did just that, and Westhoff looked like a genius.
- John Conner knocked the daylights out of Giants' LB Chase Blackburn, Rex yelled ‘The Terminator." Pettine reminded him that Conner had made another big hit, and Rex already knew. Cue players and coaching staff talking and joking about how 'The Terminator' had tagged another victim.
- We then saw McKnight's tentativeness and how he goes down easy at times. Rex to him: "Stop tiptoeing....drop your nuts and run!!!" (.Dungy probably needed a tissue after that comment.....)
- Segue to second team struggles -- the 'Victor Cruz and Jim Sorgi Show'. Pettine talks about lack of safety help over the top, especially on the play CB Drew Coleman Coleman got burned for a TD.
- Postgame talk- Rex talks about the lack of intensity from the defenses' second team. Plenty of thoughts from him: "I know we have a great #1 team, I thought we had a better group of 2's." "That ain't good enough, that was an embarrassment."
Looking ahead to next week's episode:
- Braylon and "The Beard" make an appearance.
- Players take a night off and go bowling.
- More training camp bits.
....Thoughts?