New York
Jets

The talk hasn't really been the problem during the Jets' recent skid, which has been caused by deficiencies on the field, not talk off it -- although certainly the trash-talking would go over much better with the critics if the Jets were backing it up the way they did during their 3-0 start to the season.

But it isn't talk that resulted in missed tackles Sunday by the Jets against Ted Ginn Jr., and it isn't talk that resulted in two meltdown games by quarterback Mark Sanchez last month, against New Orleans and Buffalo.

Ryan and linebacker Bart Scott, the two most loquacious people in green and white, promised Monday that they have no intention of lowering the volume on their mouths.

Scott noted that despite the recent slump, the Jets' defense still is ranked second in the NFL.

"I am what I am," he said Monday before the players left for six days off during the bye week, "and right now I'm a 4-4 football team. ... All I know is that the guys who do the talking, if you want to go there, you tell me how we've fared. Are we letting you down? Are we letting the fans down by our performance? Are we not getting the job done? To me, it looks like we're getting the job done better than 31 other teams in this league. So, you tell me?

"I'm the guy who talks, right?" he added. "And I'm on defense, so if we're talking and we're No. 2, what else do you want me to do? You want me to shut up and be No. 15? Then would you be happy? ... I control what I can control. I'm a defensive player. I don't play anything else but defense. I talk. If you don't like it, I don't know what to tell you. You liked it when we were winning."

Ryan said, "I respect everybody, but I fear nobody. My thing is we're not going to get anywhere by tiptoeing. That's how I feel about it. Again, people can take offense to it. That's fine and dandy. I'm not going to change who I am and how I coach because (NBC commentator) Tony Dungy said something. I respect him. He's a great man and great coach, but I'm going to be who I am. I've said that from Day One because I know I'll be successful that way.

"(Am I) egotistical? I don't think so. I definitely am a confident person. It's just like after that Miami game, the first one. I took full responsibility, but I couldn't wait to play them again because I knew we could play better. Again, I think we'll play better these last eight games. We'll see if it's good enough to get in the playoffs or not."

And whether or not the Jets make the playoffs, this much is certain -- they won't do anything quietly.

It's understandable that the Jets would want to get a return on their $21 million investment of guaranteed money in Gholston, the sixth overall draft pick in 2008, but they must also think about the bottom line of winning down the stretch, now that they are in a battle for the playoffs. And if Murrell or someone else gives them a better chance to win that day than Gholston, then that decision must be made, no matter how it looks publicly or how it hurts in the wallet.

--Coach Rex Ryan was critical Monday of blocking TE Ben Hartsock, who was twice called for illegal shift penalties on two-point conversion tries. One infraction nullified a successful conversion on a pass from Sanchez to Wallace Wright. That two-pointer would've cut the Jets' deficit to 30-27 in the fourth quarter.

He noted that Hartsock has committed similar penalties in practice.

"We took him out and had him run laps," Ryan said, "and then he does the same thing in the game. I'm not picking on Ben. ... There have been others."

The Jets committed six penalties for 40 yards against the Dolphins. Ryan said it was a "possibility" that he would bench Hartsock.

BY THE NUMBERS: 8 -- Number of fumbles Mark Sanchez has had through eight games in his rookie season. The Jets have lost only two, but one directly resulted in a touchdown and the other led to a touchdown.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Believe in us. We're out there fighting hard for you and it's not from a lack of effort. I still believe that we are a good football team, we're playing good football and we've lost some tough games. We're not going out there and stinking it up." -- LB Bart Scott when asked what his message would be to Jets fans.

The Jets are using a rotation to try to make up for the loss of massive NT Kris Jenkins, who suffered a season-ending knee injury versus the Bills. They re-signed DT Howard Green, who had been released the day before the Buffalo game to make room for another wideout on the roster. Green was expected to be re-signed even before Jenkins went down.

PLAYER NOTES

--P Steve Weatherford twice has successfully executed fake punts for the Jets this season, although special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff admitted he was surprised by the most recent one, which came from the Jets' own 23 against Oakland. Westhoff indicated it was a risky maneuver, considering the bad field position.

--K Jay Feely had two tackles on kickoffs against Miami. However, his aggressiveness may have hurt the Jets later in the game, as no one playing deep safety was able to stop Ted Ginn Jr. on his two touchdown returns.

--CB Lito Sheppard (quadriceps) has missed five of the last six games, and if he can't get back into the lineup, the Jets likely won't pay his roster bonus due next March, and probably will look to start someone else at RCB next season. Dwight Lowery, who has replaced Sheppard, would be a candidate.

--RB Danny Woodhead has seen action on special teams the last two weeks, and he was a key figure on the two touchdown returns by Ted Ginn Jr., as Woodhead failed to set the edge and keep outside containment on both scores.

--LG Alan Faneca is still excellent as a run blocker, but he is having trouble with quick defensive linemen in pass protection. He allowed a key sack to Miami's Randy Starks on the Jets' final series Sunday.

INJURY IMPACT: The loss of NT Kris Jenkins to a season-ending knee injury has forced them to fill his spot by committee with Sione Pouha, Mike DeVito and Howard Green. Even without Jenkins, the Jets fared much better against Miami's Wildcat formation than they did the first time around, so there is reason for optimism. The compound leg fracture suffered by RB-KR Leon Washington at Oakland has elevated rookie Shonn Greene to the status of No. 2 RB, but he had a crucial lost fumble that resulted in a touchdown for Miami in the last game. The return against Miami of starting WR Jerricho Cotchery from a hamstring injury helped open things up for fellow wideout Braylon Edwards. Backup WR Brad Smith (quadriceps) missed that game after suffering a setback with his injury two days before the contest, and with both him and Washington out, the Jets have no one to trigger their version of the Wildcat.