Sal Alosi Suspended By New York Jets After Tripping Dolphins Player Sunday

New York Jets strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi has been suspended for the rest of the season and post-season without pay according to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer.

Alosi gained national attention when he tripped Jets player Nolan Carroll while running down the sideline, leading SB Nation New York’s Joe Caporoso to write the following:

There is no “saving face” on this issue. There is only doing the right thing, which is firing Alosi. There is no room in football for his actions and he is lucky he didn’t seriously hurt Nolan Carroll of the Miami Dolphins.

There are plenty of times it is embarrassing to support the Jets but few things in recent memory would be more embarrassing than if the Jets let Alosi get away with this type of behavior. This is basically unprecedented because what coach would be stupid enough to do something like this, clearly a Jets coach on Rex Ryan’s staff was.

Reports have also surfaced that the NFL will fine Alosi $25,000.

Jets Must Fire Sal Alosi

New York Jets strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi shouldn't be a member of the organization by the end of the day today. The fact that he tripped a player running down the sideline, who couldn't see him or defend himself is inexcusable, indefensible, embarrassing, and honestly just disgusting. There couldn't be a worse demonstration of sportsmanship and it is a horrible reflection on the New York Jets organization, which is quickly developing a reputation as having no discipline or consequences for inappropriate actions.

There is no "saving face" on this issue. There is only doing the right thing, which is firing Alosi. There is no room in football for his actions and he is lucky he didn't seriously hurt Nolan Carroll of the Miami Dolphins.

There are plenty of times it is embarrassing to support the Jets but few things in recent memory would be more embarrassing than if the Jets let Alosi get away with this type of behavior. This is basically unprecedented because what coach would be stupid enough to do something like this, clearly a Jets coach on Rex Ryan's staff was.

Grading Out Jets/Dolphins Debacle

As you could imagine, not a pretty grade sheet for the offense --

Quarterback (F) - No touchdowns in 8 quarters. No confidence in the pocket. No rhythm on offense. Mark Sanchez's comically bad stat line (17/44, 216 yards, 1 INT) reflects how awful he was on Sunday. I am not sure what triggered this late season slide by Sanchez but the Jets aren't going anywhere unless he gets his confidence back.

Running Back (D) - LaDainian Tomlinson is about 3 steps slower than he was in the beginning of the season. Shonn Greene is never really given a chance to get going. The offensive line is getting no push. So much for the ground and pound.

Wide Receivers (D) - Catch the football.

Tight Ends (D) - Killer penalties from Ben Hartsock and Dustin Keller remains a non-factor in the offense.

Offensive Line (D) - They got no push in the running game and were inconsistent protecting Mark Sanchez. Wayne Hunter needs to do a better job filling in for Damien Woody.

Defensive Line (A) - Sione Pouha played his best game as a professional, with 10 tackles, 1 sack, and a fumble recovery. Shaun Ellis returned from the witness protection program with a sack. Trevor Pryce got banged up and could miss some time.

Linebackers (A) - A good active game from this entire group. Calvin Pace had a monster sack and forced fumble on Chad Henne. Bryan Thomas had a sack and David Harris played well as usual.

Secondary (A) - It is about time Brodney Pool showed up, recording a sack, forced fumble, and fumble recovery. Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis both played very well. Eric Smith wasn't as bad as usual.

Special Teams (B) - Nick Folk made his kicks, which is a nice change of pace. Steve Weatherford was okay. The return game showed some flashes.

Coaching (F) - No discipline. No direction. No plan. No class (Sal Alosi).

Mark Sanchez Nearly Got Yanked During Loss To Miami

New York Jets coach Rex Ryan admitted Sunday night that he considered yanking struggling quarterback Mark Sanchez during the Jets' ugly 10-6 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

"Late in the third quarter, I thought about it and I was like, ‘He’s not the only one to blame here.’ If I thought that was the case, we would have yanked him," Ryan said. "I think he gives us the best chance to win. That’s all I felt. Again, he put some balls in there we have to catch (and) we normally catch. We have to protect. We have to give him a chance out there. The kid’s an excellent quarterback. We just have to find a way to do things to execute better."

Sanchez, the second-year quarterback, completed just 17 of 44 throws (38.6%) for 216 yards. He threw one interception and fumbled four times. One of his fumbles led to Miami's only touchdown.

"I have to play better. That’s all there is to it," Sanchez said. "Sometimes I’m making it harder than it needs to be and it shouldn’t be like that. We have playmakers out there and I need to get them the ball."

The Jets have totaled nine points in losses to New England and Miami, and have failed to produce a touchdown.

"That’s pretty hard to believe. I don’t care who you go up against. We have plenty of talent, and we have to find a way to get it done," Ryan said. "You look at our next opponent (Pittsburgh), and if you think this defense is good, just wait until next week. Pittsburgh is going to be a huge challenge, and down the road, we need to make sure we find a way to get better. We have to get better."

The Jets' backup quarterback is veteran Mark Brunell.

Miami 10, Jets 6: Second Straight Loss For New York

East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) – Chad Henne found Brandon Marshall for the game’s only touchdown in the first quarter, and the Dolphins pulled out a gritty 10-6 win over the New York Jets in rainy conditions at New Meadowlands Stadium.

The Dolphins (7-6) were out-gained in yards, 280-131, but took advantage of two Mark Sanchez turnovers in the opening quarter to come away with their third straight road win against their AFC East rival.

Henne was a woeful 5-of-18 for 55 yards and lost two fumbles in the win, while Sanchez finished 17-of-44 for 216 yards with an interception and a lost fumble.

Prior to an embarrassing 45-3 loss to the division-leading Patriots on Monday, the Jets (9-4) had won four in a row, three coming in the overtime or in the closing seconds.

Again New York had a chance to pull one out, getting the ball at its own 25- yard line with 2:16 remaining trailing, 10-6.

Jerricho Cotchery’s 15-yard grab moved the ball to the New York 47, and Sanchez spiked the ball to stop the clock with 1:35 to play.

The Dolphins’ defense stepped up from there with a six-yard sack. After Sanchez threw behind Dustin Keller for an incomplete pass on third down, Cameron Wake sealed the outcome with his second sack in the final series.

Nolan Carroll picked off Sanchez at the Jets’ 42-yard line to set up Dan Carpenter’s 47-yard field goal midway through the opening quarter.

Three plays later, Sanchez lost a fumble at his own 26, leading to Marshall’s six-yard touchdown catch.

The Jets penetrated enemy territory four times in the second quarter but only came away with three points. They punted the first and last time, turned it over on downs when Shonn Greene was stuffed on 4th-and-1 from the 37, and got a 35-yard field goal from Nick Folk with 4 1/2 minutes to go in the frame.

Santonio Holmes dropped a sure touchdown prior to the field goal.

Heavy rains came pouring down during a scoreless, punt-filled third quarter.

Sanchez and Holmes weren’t on the same page on a fourth-down play early in the fourth, resulting in a possession-changing incompletion.

But Holmes came down with a diving 42-grab to move the Jets to the Miami 32 on the next series, setting up Folk’s 42-yard kick with 5:21 to go.

The next three series all ended in punts after three unsuccessful plays.

Miami was coming off a 13-10 loss to Cleveland last week…Jets offensive tackle Damien Woody left early with a knee injury and did not return… Marshall, who missed the previous two games with a hamstring injury, ended with two catches for 16 yards…Ronnie Brown led the Dolphins with 55 yards on 16 carries…LaDainian Tomlinson paced the Jets with 49 yards on 19 carries… The Dolphins recorded six first downs while giving up 14…Miami logged six sacks, while the Jets had five.

Miami Dolphins At New York Jets: 5 Keys To Victory

Five keys for the Jets to get a victory this Sunday at home --

1. Ground and Pound...Ground and Pound...Ground and Pound - If there was one positive from the game last week it was the way Shonn Greene looked running the football. LaDainian Tomlinson had a great start to the season and has remained a valuable weapon as a receiver out of the backfield. However, it is clear that he has been struggling to run the football the previous few weeks. It is time to give Shonn Greene 20 carries, every single week, starting this Sunday against Miami. A strong, power running game will take the pressure off Mark Sanchez.

2. Speaking of Sanchez - Let's get his confidence going early in the game with a few slants, hitches, and bubble screens. Miami doesn't have the personnel to cover the Jets receivers or tight end but before they start attacking down the field, they should let Sanchez get a few completions under his belt.

3. Dustin Keller, Where Have You Gone? - Keller killed the Dolphins in week 3, but has gradually been less and less of a factor in the offense since then. I am not sure what the problem has been, but it probably has to do with the Jets doing a poor job of reacting to him receiving extra attention from defenses. Keller needs to be involved for the Jets offense to reach their full potential and this is the week to start getting him going again.

4. Somebody Make A Play - Somebody, anybody on the Jets needs to make a play. An interception. A forced fumble. A sack in a big spot. The entire unit has been a disappointment and it remains to be seen who will step their game up to help the unit turn around their play.

5. Special Teams Bounce Back - It wasn't a pretty night for the Jets special teams on Monday. I don't know if we will ever feel comfortable with Nick Folk again, but he needs to start at least hitting field goals 40 yards and under with some consistency. Steve Weatherford needs to get over his awful performance against New England, as well. I am excited to watch Santonio Holmes on punt returns and it sounds like Joe McKnight may also get a shot.

New York Jets Week 14 Playoffs Scenario

The Jets clinch a playoff spot this week with the following

1) A Jets Win + SD loss or tie + JAK loss or tie

2) A Jets Win + SD loss or tie + IND loss or tie

3) A Jets Tie + OAK loss or tie + SD loss + IND loss

Schedule

• Indianapolis At Tennessee – Thursday, 8:20 PM
• Oakland At Jacksonville – Sunday, 1 PM
• Kansas City At San Diego – Sunday, 4:15 PM

Miami Dolphins At New York Jets: The Beginning Of The End?

Dramatic in the title again? I don't think so. Despite losing by 42 points to New England, it isn't time to hit the panic button yet on the 2010 New York Jets season. You don't hit that button after one loss that was preceded by a four-game winning streak. However, make no mistake if the Jets can't come back home and beat the 6-6 Miami Dolphins, then it is time to hit the panic button and hit it hard.

You could only imagine the mass hysteria that will surround this team if they aren't resilient enough to beat such an average opponent in their own building, especially with trips to Pittsburgh and Chicago coming up. The talk will be swirling about 9-2 turning into 9-7 and the Jets having an epic Mets-like collapse, and there is no way that it wouldn't impact the team. There is only one way to calm the storm of concern from the New England debacle, and that is going home and handling business against the Miami Dolphins.

Let's not let a loss to our other bitter rivals signal the beginning of the end for the 2010 New York Jets as serious Super Bowl contenders.

The Dolphins fancied themselves contenders heading into this year but have found out the hard way that Chad Henne isn't a very good quarterback, Ronnie Brown isn't an elite back in the league, Ricky Williams is old, they overpaid for Brandon Marshall, and their defense isn't reliable.

Miami lost at home to the Jake Delhomme led Cleveland Browns last week 13-10 on a last-second field goal.

Despite their record, Miami and New York is a rivalry game which means records often are thrown out the window. Yet, in this case that is no excuse for the Jets who desperately need a win to wash the taste of last Monday's game out of their mouth and to begin the uphill climb to stay in the race for the AFC East title.

Here are the team stats for the Dolphins heading into Week 14: