Edwards created a huge distraction

ksdsoft10p37 · Wysłany: Pon 4:23, 21 Mar 2011 Temat postu: Edwards created a huge distraction

[link widoczny dla zalogowanych][/u]' strong performance in win over Miami makes Jets' lack of discipline look even worse
MIAMI - Rex Ryan, Mike Tannenbaum and Woody Johnson sent the wrong message to their team by letting [link widoczny dla zalogowanych][/u] play Sunday night, five days after his DWI arrest, but they did send the right message around the NFL with their victory over the Dolphins.
The Jets may tick off a lot of people with all their talking and their management may have run scared of the NFLPA by refusing to deactivate Edwards after his incident on the West Side of Manhattan, but Ryan has put together a pretty resilient team.
They beat the Dolphins, 31-23, Sunday night, creating a three-way tie with Miami and New England for first place in the AFC East at 2-1. Technically, the Jets are in first because they have defeated the Pats and Dolphins back-to-back.
And, even though it further sends a horrible message, the Jets would not have won the game without Edwards, who made three huge plays: his 67-yard touchdown in the third quarter put the Jets ahead for good; on the game-clinching TD drive late in the fourth quarter, he had a huge 20-yard catch on a third-and-10 from the 50; and, five plays later, he drew an end-zone pass interference call on Jason Allen, setting up LaDainian Tomlinson's 1-yard TD run with 1:55 remaining that put the Jets ahead by eight.
"Braylon wanted to come up big for us,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]," Tomlinson said. "And he did."
Edwards, who shaved his long beard that he brought to training camp, was benched for the first quarter. Tannenbaum said the decision was finalized after he spoke with Johnson at 6 p.m., about 2-1/2 hours before kickoff. They should have benched him the entire game.
"We said we were going to do what was in the best interests of our football team and Braylon," Ryan said. "It was a tough thing to do when you are sitting out a player like that, but we made our decision and that's the decision of our organization."
And the effect Edwards had on the game with two catches for 87 yards and the penalty he drew on Allen? "Clearly, he had a big impact," Ryan said.
This was Ryan's most impressive regular-season victory in his two years with the Jets and that includes last week's win over the Patriots and the one over New England in the second week of the season last year.
Edwards created a huge distraction, which, combined with the injuries to Darrelle Revis, Calvin Pace and Kris Jenkins, deprived Ryan of his three best defensive players and put the Jets in a difficult spot before an energized crowd Sunday night.
"It's been an interesting week," Edwards said. "It hasn't been the best feeling."

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