ESPN NFL

Former NFL offensive lineman Damien Woody dishes on his decision to join ESPN, the end of his NFL career, what he will miss most about football and more.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills added to their wide receiver corps, signing former Chargers first-round pick Buster Davis. San Diego drafted Davis in 2007 when GM Buddy Nix was part of the Chargers' front office.

Tyler Thigpen knew he'd be a good fit with the Bills since he'd be reunited with coach Chan Gailey. Thigpen: "I just felt like it was a great opportunity out here, already knowing the system. When I got a look at the playbook ... the first meeting, it felt like second nature to me."

Bills linebacker Shawne Merriman has been flashing the form in camp that earned him the nickname "Lights Out." Merriman: "I'm not going to say I'm back-back yet because we still have a lot of time before we really have to strap on the pads and go. But every day I'm feeling a little bit better.''

Miami Dolphins

Defensive end Kendall Langford, eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2011 season, said Thursday the team has assured him that he will receive a contract extension, according to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson.

Quarterback Chad Henne admitted the jeers from Dolphins fans at training camp hurt him "deep down inside."

The Sun-Sentinel's Omar Kelly examines the idea (or perhaps fantasy) of Brett Favre joining the Dolphins.

New England Patriots

Logan Mankins appears to have smoothed things over with owner Robert Kraft. The Pro Bowl left guard is now open to the idea of negotiating a long-term deal with the Patriots.

The Patriots worked out defensive lineman Shaun Ellis, formerly of the Jets, on Thursday. Ellis is the latest in a string of defensive linemen to visit Foxboro this week; a list that includes Matt Roth, Quentin Moses, Raheem Brock, and, reportedly, Tommie Harris.

A report on Nate Solder's first practice with the Patriots.

New York Jets

Mark Sanchez's growth could be hindered by a lack of practice time with his wide receivers -- especially Plaxico Burress.

The New York Daily News' Gary Myers on Burress' ankle injury: "Burress has been talking about what great shape he's in. But if he turned his ankle just running around, it has to make you wonder what happens when he starts getting hit. If Burress is brittle, the Jets are in trouble. His body is not used to the stress of football."

Coach Rex Ryan expects Calvin Pace to key the Jets' pass rush this season. Ryan: "Yeah we think [he could have] one of those potential 10-sack seasons and all that, he has that kind of ability. There’s no doubt.”

Twelve-year veteran tackle Damien Woody will announce his retirement Friday.

Buffalo Bills

Bills players are excited to have things starting to return to normal.

USA Today concludes its series looking at five questions facing each team with a breakdown of the Bills.

Miami Dolphins

With the lockout now over, Armando Salguero says it's time for Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to deliver on his promise to bring a winner to Miami.

Omar Kelly looks at the Dolphins' free agents and those players' futures with the team.

New England Patriots

ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss rattles off 10 things that should be on the Patriots' to-do list now that the lockout is behind us.

Bob Ryan of The Boston Globe: "If you are an exclusionary NFL junkie, not interested in anything else happening in the world of sport, and thus you really needed OTAs and such to get you through May and June, you need more help than is probably available. The rest of us, who enjoy football as part of our 12-month sports smorgasbord, missed a little free agency talk but nothing else. We have survived very nicely."

New York Jets

Matt Bowen of the National Football Post says re-signing Santonio Holmes should be a top priority for the Jets.

Damien Woody says he'll consider retiring if he doesn't get a new deal from the Jets.

While yakking with a key starter from last year's New York Jets squad this week, I asked a question I posed on the AFC East blog last month and have addressed regularly in my weekly chat.

What team is the class of the division? The New England Patriots, coming off 14 victories and another title? Or the Jets, who knocked the Patriots out of the playoffs and reached their second straight AFC Championship Game?

"Until we dethrone them," he said, "the Patriots are the class of the AFC East. That's the bottom line. There's no other way to slice it. You've got to knock them off the pedestal. That's goal No. 1, winning the division. That's the easiest way to get to the ultimate goal of the Super Bowl."

That comment alone wasn't enough for the player to request anonymity, but the next part of our conversation made him feel it was necessary for the sake of diplomacy and because he wants to keep his job next season.

I wanted to know more. To extract his veteran insight on the state of the Jets, I asked what his game plan would be if I could appoint him general manager for the next couple months.

How would he get the Jets over the hump from runners-up to AFC East champs and into the Super Bowl? He must have pondered that very question over the past few months because, without much thought, he rattled off six key steps to propelling the Jets upward.

Here they are, in order of what he felt was most important, along with his reasoning:

1. Re-sign receiver Santonio Holmes.

"You have to do that," our embedded analyst said. The Jets have three prominent free-agent receivers, but Holmes must be the priority over Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith. Holmes missed four games while serving a suspension but made 52 catches for 746 yards and six touchdowns. He was a clutch performer and added a couple more touchdowns in the playoffs.

"If I had to choose between Santonio, Braylon or Brad Smith -- I don't think you can re-sign them all -- I'll take Santonio because of his body of work," the Jets insider said. "He's more established."

Smith averaged 28.6 yards on kickoff returns and scored two touchdowns, and was the club's third-leading rusher with 299 yards and a TD as a gadget quarterback. The Jets led the NFL in average start position after a kickoff (at the 31.5-yard line). But the insider said revamped kickoff rules would neutralize Smith's impact in 2011.

The possibility of signing Plaxico Burress is intriguing and could help the Jets cope with any inability to re-sign Edwards or Smith. As for whether Burress would be a problem for head coach Rex Ryan, the insider laughed.

"With everything we have in our organization, he'd be just one of the guys," he said. "He wouldn't stand out like a sore thumb.

"Guys just love playing for Rex. With Rex's personality and the way he runs the show, Plaxico would just fit right in. Rex doesn't have problems with guys who have so-called character issues or big personalities. Rex is a big personality himself. A guy like Plaxico would do well with the Jets."

2. Get inside linebacker David Harris signed to a long-term contract.

Harris led the Jets with 119 tackles. He recorded three sacks, 14 quarterback hits, a forced fumble and a recovery.

He signed his franchise tender and is under contract for next season, but he'll be a free agent again next offseason unless the Jets broker another deal before then.

"I've got to lock up David Harris," the insider said. "He's one of the more underrated defenders in the league. I've got to get him signed long-term."

3. Re-sign cornerback Antonio Cromartie.

Another significant free agent, Cromartie helped limit opposing quarterbacks to a 50.7 completion percentage -- lowest in the league by far -- and a 77.1 passer rating. He notched 42 tackles, three interceptions and a team-high 18 passes defensed.

Besides, the Jets invested too much in him to let him stroll for nothing this summer.

"If I gave up a second-round pick for the guy, I don't want to see him walk out the door," the insider said. "That would be a high draft pick I'd wasted.

"Plus, with no offseason to monitor the young players, I don't know what I have with Kyle Wilson. The team hasn't had a chance to coach him up. He didn't do the things the team expected last year. So I need to get Antonio Cromartie back to make sure I shore up the secondary."

4. Find a pass-rusher or two.

One of the Jets' biggest perceived weaknesses heading into the offseason was their inability to generate a more formidable pass rush last season.

"This team has a defensive scheme that can be dangerous with a pass rush," the insider said. "We had a great group, but that'll make my defense even stronger."

Outside linebacker Jason Taylor's status is in question. The Jets cut him, but it's not unfathomable he could return. Last year's regular starters, Calvin Pace and Bryan Thomas, are under contract. Thomas recorded a team-high six sacks last season, while Pace had 5.5 sacks. Taylor added five more. Those aren't fearsome numbers.

Football Outsiders charted the Jets for 117.5 hurries (seventh in the NFL), but just 38 quarterback hits (tied for 23rd).

5. Sign a free-agent right tackle.

The Jets released Damien Woody after the season, but published reports before the lockout indicated the club was interested in bringing him back.

Woody can't provide many guarantees in what would be his 13th NFL season. Although he has been to the Pro Bowl, is one of few players on last year's roster who owns a Super Bowl ring and started 13 games last season, there are injury concerns. He battled knee problems before an Achilles' injury landed him on injured reserve in the playoffs.

There don't appear to be any solutions on the roster. Last year's second-round draft choice, Vladimir Ducasse, was a tackle at Boston College but was unable to win a job at guard. Woody's reliable backup, Wayne Hunter, is a free agent.

6. Identify a safety to solidify the secondary, looking first at Brodney Pool.

The Jets' best safety, Jim Leonhard, is coming off a broken shin that had him limited to a scooter during rehab. Pool, Eric Smith and James Ihedigbo all are free agents.

Pool started 12 games. He ranked fourth in tackles with 63. He registered a sack, an interception, nine passes defenses, a forced fumble and a recovery. Smith started six games and was fifth with 57 tackles. He also made an impact on special teams (19 tackles), as did Ihedigbo (27 tackles).

"I would try to get Brodney Pool or Eric Smith back," the Jets insider said. "Both played well down the stretch, but I think Brodney Pool was a guy who, as it got later in the season, really picked up the scheme and became a playmaker at the safety position."

I found the insider's opinions to be insightful. Nowhere among the list of issues to address were quarterback Mark Sanchez, left guard or kicker Nick Folk. The obviously aren't major concerns with this veteran player.

Once the lockout concludes, we'll see how much the anonymous player's wish list jibes with Mike Tannenbaum's.

» NFC Underrated Players: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A team-by-team look at the most underrated players in the division.

Buffalo Bills

Roscoe Parrish, receiver/punt returner: For five years, Parrish practically begged to be thrown the ball. He made the most of his touches, becoming one of the most dangerous punt returners in the NFL and setting franchise records.

But his listed position was wide receiver, and in the Bills' passing game under head coaches Mike Mularkey and Dick Jauron, the undersized Parrish always seemed to be an afterthought.

That changed last year under new coach Chan Gailey. He played just eight games because of a broken wrist, but Parrish caught 33 passes for 400 yards and two touchdowns. The yardage was the most of his career. His touchdowns tied a career high. Two more receptions would have matched a career high.

Miami Dolphins

Kendall Langford, defensive end: On a defense with sack master Cameron Wake, the NFL's highest-paid linebacker in Karlos Dansby, franchise-tagged nose tackle Paul Soliai and Pro Bowl defensive end Randy Starks, a guy like Langford can get overlooked.

Langford, a 2008 third-round pick out of Hampton, has been a starter since his rookie season. Last year, after he gained national fame for being the sap who lost a $50,000 earring on the Dolphins' practice field, Langford produced a quality season for one of the NFL's better defenses. He notched 47 tackles, three sacks, six tackles for losses, two forced fumbles and four passes defensed.

Langford is adept at controlling blockers and was a major reason the Dolphins ranked seventh in run defense (100.1 yards per game) and third in average allowed per carry (3.6 yards).

New England Patriots

Gary Guyton, linebacker: Guyton started only eight games at linebacker last season, and half of those were necessitated by Brandon Spikes' four-game suspension. Even so, Guyton made a mark on the Patriots' defense. The undrafted third-year pro from Georgia Tech recorded 63 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), six passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery (returned for another touchdown).

"Gary is someone that fits in our system very well no matter what that role is," Patriots linebackers coach Matt Patricia said during the playoffs. "He's a very [versatile] player for us. He does an excellent job in whatever avenue we ask him to prepare and play. I think he is a guy who is active and plays for us every Sunday, and whatever that role is, he's going to go out and do it to the best of his ability. It’s something that we have a lot of confidence in."

New York Jets

Brandon Moore, right guard: The Jets' offensive line has had remarkable star power over the past few seasons. Nick Mangold is an All-Pro center. Left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson went to the Pro Bowl last season. Right tackle Damien Woody has been to the Pro Bowl and owns Super Bowl rings. Alan Faneca, the Jets' left guard in 2008 and 2009, went to nine straight Pro Bowls.

Then there was Moore, an undrafted and often-overlooked workhorse. "Meat," as he's affectionately known by his teammates, has started 105 straight regular-season games. He was a third alternate for the Pro Bowl last year but still hasn't made it to one. In the Jets' locker room, he's respected enough to be a union representative.

"It's a shame that Brandon doesn't get as much of a nod as he deserves," Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said last season. "You'd be hard-pressed to find a better guard than him in all of football."

The NFL's decision to extend the collective bargaining agreement 24 hours doesn't allow clubs to keep making player moves. Rosters will be frozen at midnight.

The New England Patriots on Thursday extended qualifying offers to running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, cornerback Kyle Arrington and safety Jarrad Page.

These three players symbolize the Patriots ability to recognize good value.

Green-Ellis and Page were tendered second-round offers. That means another team would have to compensate the Patriots with a second-round draft choice if it wanted to sign one of them -- under the current CBA.

Green-Ellis, the only AFC East back to rush for more than 1,000 yards, wasn't drafted. Page was obtained for a seventh-round draft choice.

Page probably won't be considered a restricted free agent under the new CBA because he has played five NFL seasons. That would render his tender moot. But the Patriots want to keep him and decided to take a shot.

Arrington, another undrafted player, was extended an exclusive rights offer. That's an option teams have to retain the rights of players with little experience. Exclusive-rights players cannot negotiate with other teams. Arrington started 14 games at cornerback last season.

In other Patriots news, right tackle Damien Woody expressed a willingness to return to the Patriots if they'll have him. The New York Jets released him this week. He played center and guard for the Patriots from 1999 through 2003, winning two Super Bowls.

"I would consider all options, so yeah, definitely,” Woody told the Boston Herald. "I had a great time up there. I didn't leave on any bad terms or anything like that. That would definitely be intriguing, coming back."

The New York Jets were busy Tuesday. They officially released three players with a combined 11 Pro Bowls and placed provisional qualifying offers on nine free agents.

They might be active again Wednesday, too.

New York Metro writer Kristian Dyer, citing an unnamed source, reported the Jets will try to re-sign nose tackle Kris Jenkins at a reduced salary.

The Jets cut Jenkins, outside linebacker Jason Taylor and right tackle Damien Woody as part of a roster organization before the collective bargaining agreement expires Thursday.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Wednesday morning that free-agent safety Bob Sanders will visit the Jets. The former Indianapolis Colts star previously met with the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars. Sanders has played only nine games the past three seasons, but the thought of a healthy Sanders in Rex Ryan's defense must sound dreadful to opposing quarterbacks.

Also of note, the Jets have not announced a roster move for defensive end Vernon Gholston. He reportedly was to have been released along with Jenkins, Taylor and Woody.

The New York Jets reportedly are on the verge of releasing four notable players.

New York Daily News beat writer Manish Mehta writes the Jets will cut right tackle Damien Woody, outside linebacker Jason Taylor, nose tackle Kris Jenkins, and defensive end Vernon Gholston.

Woody confirmed his move with a tweet, thanking the Jets and their fans.

The moves will help New York navigate the salary cap once a new collective bargaining agreement is in place. Contracts will expire for 17 Jets this week. Among that group the Jets want to re-sign are receivers Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes and Brad Smith, and cornerback Antonio Cromartie.

Each player the Jets are about to cut was significant in his own way. Three of them combined for 11 Pro Bowls and five first-team All-Pro selections. The other will go down as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history.

Woody started for one of the NFL's best offensive lines, but he also missed the final three regular-season games to rest his right knee and the final two playoff games because of an Achilles injury that required surgery.

Taylor was a strong veteran presence. The six-time Pro Bowler, 2006 Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year and 2007 Walter Payton Man of the Year recorded five sacks, two forced fumbles and two recoveries.

Jenkins played only one game. A left knee injury ended his 2009 campaign after six games. He returned only to suffer a repeat injury six plays into the season opener.

Gholston was the sixth overall pick of the 2008 draft. He was supposed to be a monstrous pass-rusher and entered the league with a contract that included $21 million in guarantees.

But Gholston didn't record a single sack in his three seasons. He started only five games as a Jet, and occasionally was a healthy scratch.

The New York Jets won't let a conference opponent cherry-pick their coaching staff for an offensive coordinator.

The Jets already have announced they're keeping Brian Schottenheimer around, and they've spurned a team's request to speak to another assistant about becoming a coordinator.

ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton reports the Tennessee Titans approached the Jets about offensive line coach Bill Callahan filling their coordinator vacancy. The Jets declined because Callahan is under contract.

Callahan has overseen one of the NFL's best offensive lines the past three seasons. The Jets feature All-Pro center Nick Mangold and Pro Bowl left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Right guard Brandon Moore and right tackle Damien Woody are highly respected in the league.

Clayton, citing an unnamed source, said Callahan would like to be a coordinator again to enhance his allure as a future head coach candidate. Callahan was Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator for four years before being promoted to head coach in 2002. He became the fourth first-year head coach to take his team to the Super Bowl.

Callahan lasted only two seasons in Oakland. He became head coach at Nebraska and introduced the West Coast offense to a traditional ground-and-pound program.

Jets quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh also has significant coordinator experience. He handled play-calling duties for the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens and the University of Pittsburgh.

New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum held a news conference Friday to wrap up the 2010 season and address several issues moving forward.

Some highlights with my thoughts:

The Jets probably won't re-sign any of their players before the collective bargaining agreement expires March 4. This probably is the most prudent approach. The Jets would benefit from knowing the new salary cap structure rather than simply guessing on whether or not their players will fit under it. Teams also would prefer to know how free agency will be determined under the next CBA. Right now, we can't say for sure who will be restricted or unrestricted or what veteran minimum salaries will be.

Tannenbaum hopes to keep all three free-agent receivers: Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes and Brad Smith. I'm skeptical the Jets can pull it off. All are coming off big years, and it will be difficult to match all offers from other teams. But if the Jets can pull it off, the happiest man in the organization will be Mark Sanchez. Tannenbaum declined to speculate on whether or not the Jets would be interested in a post-prison Plaxico Burress.

Free-agent inside linebacker David Harris "remains a top priority for us." Harris, to me, is the most important free agent for the Jets. It's much easier to find a receiver in free agency than a stud linebacker such as Harris. He has led the Jets in tackles each of the past two seasons and makes all the on-field defensive calls. I highly doubt the Jets let him get away.

Brian Schottenheimer will be back as offensive coordinator. I realize some Jets fans are disgusted with Schottenheimer's play-calling in the AFC Championship Game, but he's a gem. Deep back-to-back runs into the postseason with a raw quarterback is a major accomplishment. And let's not forget he had the Jets humming with Brett Favre at quarterback until Favre's right arm started falling apart in 2008.

Sanchez will get "a couple of opinions" on his injured throwing shoulder before deciding if he'll have surgery. The Jets don't want to cut on their quarterback unless they have to. But the sooner they make a decision, the better so Sanchez can begin the rehab process. One of the overlooked traits Sanchez has developed in his two years is toughness. He has taken quite a few shots in the pocket and on the run, but he stays on the field.

Tannenbaum expects LaDainian Tomlinson and Jason Taylor to be on the 2011 roster. Tomlinson and Taylor are under contract, but the Jets could release them. Tomlinson lost effectiveness as the season wore on, but he can be a quality backup for Shonn Greene and adds value in the passing game as a receiver and in blitz protection. Taylor clearly is nearing the end of the line, and he knows it. But he wasn't a liability and provided leadership Tannenbaum said was "really hard to quantify."

First-round draft choice Kyle Wilson's future is "one of our paramount objectives for the offseason." The day the Jets drafted Wilson 29th overall, head coach Rex Ryan declared Wilson would be their nickelback and a great punt returner. Even with Darrelle Revis absent all summer because of a contract dispute, Wilson couldn't seize the opportunity and fell behind Drew Coleman on the depth chart. Tannenbaum cited inconsistency as Wilson's biggest problem.

Right tackle Damien Woody and fullback Tony Richardson probably won't be back. Tannenbaum didn't make those statements, but that's what I read between the lines. Woody turned 33 during the season and recently underwent Achilles surgery. He also missed games with a knee injury. Wayne Hunter or Vladimir Ducasse could take over for him. The Jets cut Richardson before the season and brought him back. They also have fullback John Conner waiting in the wings.

Vernon Gholston sounds like a goner. The sixth overall pick in 2008 was a healthy scratch in the playoffs. Tannenbaum diplomatically said the Jets "are going to see if there's anything else to try, but he has been given his share of opportunities, and it could be time to move on." Move over Mike Mamula.

Back in my days covering the National Hockey League, "man games lost" were insightful stats we used frequently. The figures helped illustrate how injuries were impacting a team's season.

Man games lost aren't avidly tracked in the NFL. Rosters are more volatile than in the NHL, where fully guaranteed contracts generally cement a roster coming out of training camp.

NFL teams cut and sign players more frequently. Injured players can dress because there's one game a week, and they can be used situationally. In the NHL, you have to play offense and defense. There are no third-down specialists you can safely insert for a shift or two.

Football Outsiders managing editor Bill Barnwell has compiled a worthwhile chart for the NFL.

Better than man games lost, it's starter games lost.

The Indianapolis Colts led the NFL with 89. The Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs were tied for fewest at 11.

In the AFC East, the Miami Dolphins had the most with 62, ranking seventh in the league. They were banged-up all along the offensive and defensive lines. Receiver Brian Hartline, cornerback Will Allen and rookie defensive end Jared Odrick went to injured reserve among a few others.

The New England Patriots were tied for 10th with 54 starter games lost. Tom Brady played through a foot fracture, but they most notably lost cornerback Leigh Bodden and offensive linemen Stephen Neal and Nick Kaczur.

The Buffalo Bills were tied for 21st with 42 starter games lost. That's a great development after what happened to them in 2009, when they finished with 21 players on injured reserve, including left tackle Demetrius Bell, right tackle Brad Butler, inside linebacker Kawika Mitchell, starting cornerbacks Leodis McKelvin and Terrence McGee and Pro Bowl safety Jairus Byrd.

The New York Jets lost starters 38 times, ranking 23rd in the league. Their biggest losses were nose tackle Kris Jenkins, safety Jim Leonhard and right tackle Damien Woody.

What do these numbers say, especially when four of the top five most injury-riddled teams (Colts, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles) made the playoffs?

It means that depth (or playing in the NFC West) is imperative to surviving.

Barnwell offered to break down the chart by upper-body and lower-body injuries, but I haven't gotten that file yet.

How much will the loss of right tackle Damien Woody impact the New York Jets?

Experience is the most obvious subtraction. Woody just finished his 12th NFL season. He has two Super Bowl rings.

His replacement, seventh-year pro Wayne Hunter, had two career starts before December.

Hunter started the Jets' final three games while Woody rested a right knee injury for the playoffs. Woody started Saturday's first-round victory over the Indianapolis Colts, but he couldn't finish because of an Achilles injury that required surgery this week.

But Woody's season-ending injury might not be as troubling as the next one that befalls their offensive line.

I reached out to ESPN contributor and former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker for his thoughts on how problematic Woody's absence will be for the Jets in Sunday's game against the New England Patriots.

"In and of itself, Wayne Hunter probably will do fine," said Tucker, who played for the Patriots and Buffalo Bills during his seven-year career. "But my biggest concern is their depth."

The Jets' depth chart doesn't list anybody at tackle aside from Woody and Hunter. Backup guard Robert Turner played right tackle at New Mexico. Rookie backup guard Vladimir Ducasse was a tackle at Boston College, but he has been a disappointment at guard.

"What if somebody else gets hurt?" Tucker said. "Nobody thinks about that, but let me tell you, if Wayne Hunter goes down or [left tackle] D'Brickashaw Ferguson goes down in the first or second quarter, then that becomes a real issue and a real problem."

Hunter is a capable lineman. Jets head coach Rex Ryan called him "the best backup tackle in the league," a remark Tucker deemed "hyperbole on Rex's part." But Tucker did rate Hunter among the NFL's top 10 swing tackles.

"From a natural ability standpoint Wayne Hunter is off the charts," Tucker said.

Hunter has seen a lot of action in the Jets' jumbo and goal-line packages, frequently reporting as an eligible receiver because he's lined up on the outside of another tackle.

Tucker liked what he saw from Hunter against some solid defenses. Hunter started against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills last month.

But expect the Patriots to dial up some special plays to see if they can exploit Hunter's inexperience and get to quarterback Mark Sanchez. Hunter also might find himself lined up against Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, who migrates along the line.

"The Patriots may try to test his football acumen, his football intelligence," Tucker said. "I would imagine Bill Belichick will test his faculties pretty early. There are things you can do, whether it's a stunt or a blitz, to see how comfortable he is picking up the right guy.

"Ninety-five percent of the time he'll be blocking either the defensive end or outside linebacker, although most teams with their pass protections tend to slide the protection to the left to protect the backside of the quarterback. Usually, the other team's best pass-rusher is on that side. So Wayne Hunter will have that guy one-on-one more often than the left tackle will. He'll be isolated."

INDIANAPOLIS -- The New York Jets poured out onto the Lucas Oil Stadium turf, many with their helmets raised overhead. Nick Folk's 32-yard field goal flipped through the uprights as the clock expired Saturday night. The Jets beat the Indianapolis Colts 17-16 and advanced to the AFC divisional round of the playoffs.

The sickened crowd was so silent you could hear the Jets whoop and holler like they owned the place. Braylon Edwards did a backflip on his way into the tunnel.

And right about then the Jets remembered what's coming next.

"As soon as the game was over -- I know that all the guys were happy with the win -- but we got the Patriots on our mind," Jets safety Brodney Pool said. "We know we're going back there. We remember what they did to us."

Yes, the New England Patriots.

Congratulations, Jets on your wild-card round victory Saturday. On Jan. 16, you get to return to Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots cudgeled you 45-3 about five weeks ago.

"The way that they beat us up when we were there, it was a butt-kicking," Pool said.

"They dominated us."

Jets defensive back Dwight Lowery interrupted.

"Not going to happen again," Lowery said, pulling a shirt over his head at the adjoining locker stall.

"That wasn't the same group of guys," Pool said, "that showed up today."

The Jets left Lucas Oil Stadium convinced they weren't the same team that the Patriots humiliated on "Monday Night Football." That Dec. 6 game emphatically dropped the Jets out of the AFC East lead. That loss led to questions about them being frauds who fattened their record by feasting on opponents with losing records.

"What happened in the last game definitely is not going to happen again," Lowery said. "We'll be better prepared overall. It's a brand new game."

Saturday night's victory resets the Jets. They beat the great Peyton Manning on his home field, in front of his raucous fans.

And the Jets did it with Manning avoiding blunders. Manning did his thing. He completed 69 percent of his passes for 225 yards. He fired a perfect strike to Pierre Garcon for a 57-yard touchdown. Manning didn't throw an interception and conceded on one garbage sack at the end of the first half. He posted a 108.7 passer rating.

The Jets still won.

Now they feel like they have an honest shot against Tom Brady, whom Rex Ryan took a shot at last week. Ryan knocked Brady, declaring him propped up by Bill Belichick and not as good as Manning.

"To beat an elite Hall of Fame quarterback in his house is huge," Jets right tackle Damien Woody said. "We had the right formula coming in here. The stakes get higher. Brady probably is going to be MVP of the league. That offense is humming.

"But to beat Peyton at home speaks volumes about the guys in this locker room and our coaching staff."

The Jets can't expect to hold the Patriots to 16 points. The Patriots have scored at least 31 points in eight straight games.

So good luck with that.

But the Jets have plenty to build upon.

Perhaps most impressive about their victory was that Mark Sanchez was slipshod -- and that didn't kill them. Sanchez was off target on some plays and threw a boneheaded interception that kept the Jets scoreless at halftime. He didn't have any touchdown passes and finished with a 62.4 rating.

The Jets won with an aggressive ground attack that got better as the game progressed. LaDainian Tomlinson appeared fresh, as he did early in the season. He ran 16 times for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Shonn Greene added 19 carries for 70 yards.

"Really, it was more the mentality our backs took that they were going to run through that door," Ryan said. "Whether it had a lock on it or not, our guys were going to pound it in there.

"Our offensive line did a great job of slugging away. It wasn't going to be that you were going to rip [the Colts] for 8 yards and 8 yards. It usually starts 2, 3, 4 and then all of the sudden you're able to crack them."

The Patriots' run defense might be their biggest weakness heading into the playoffs. They placed defensive linemen Ron Brace and Mike Wright on injured reserve in the past week. They allowed an average of 108 yards a game, which ranked 11th. But a mitigating factor is that teams often are in catch-up mode in the second half and forced to throw.

Patriots inside linebacker Brandon Spikes is coming back from a league suspension. Rookie defensive lineman Brandon Deaderick was briefly suspended by the Patriots this week for an undisclosed reason.

Several Jets refused to discuss the Patriots matchup as Saturday night turned into early Sunday morning. When a reporter asked outside linebacker Calvin Pace about heading back to Gillette Stadium, inside linebacker Bart Scott lashed into a profanity-laced complaint that the Jets deserved time to enjoy beating the Colts.

Jason Taylor, who won his first playoff game in a decade, was one of the Jets who declined to speak specifically about the Patriots.

But the veteran pass-rusher put the victory -- and next week -- into perspective.

"If there was any bit of uncertainty, I think this helps erase it," Taylor said. "But it's one game. We won the playoff round. We've got to go play in the divisional round, and if we win that, we still haven't done anything yet.

"I understand the process. I've been in this spot before, where you win the first round and don't win in the second round. You get nothing for it. You don't even get a hat. Or a T-shirt."

It was so long ago, but the Jets actually did defeat the Patriots 28-14 at the Meadowlands in Week 2.

The trilogy will conclude next Sunday afternoon.

"Couldn't have scripted it better, to get a third opportunity at a team," Woody said. "We split in the regular season, but people don't remember our win. They remember the huge blowout. You're only as good as your last game.

"So Part III is coming up."

The NFL frontloaded and backloaded the schedule for divisional games this year to add significance to potentially irrelevant games in Weeks 16 and 17.

The New York Jets sneaked into the playoffs last year because the Indianapolis Colts pulled their starters at halftime in Week 16 and the Cincinnati Bengals did the same in Week 17. The Jets won both games and received a wild-card entry after head coach Rex Ryan declared his team mathematically eliminated.

But the NFL's new approach didn't mean diddly squat for the AFC East.

At the Meadowlands on Sunday, the Buffalo Bills and Jets will play a junior varsity game.

Bills backup quarterback Brian Brohm, once considered by Mel Kiper to be the No. 1 draft prospect of 2008, will start. The Bills have scratched quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick because of a knee injury, giving Brohm the chance to throw his first NFL touchdown, something he hasn't been able to do in 11 preseason games.

Brohm will be throwing into a Jets secondary and the NFL-worst Bills run defense will be trying to stop a lineup that might remind us of the 1987 season.

The Jets have deactivated cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, safeties Eric Smith and James Ihedigbo, running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene and right tackle Damien Woody.

Notable scratches for the New England Patriots include receivers Wes Welker and Deion Branch, tight end Aaron Hernandez, defensive lineman Mike Wright and outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain.

PITTSBURGH -- The lineup scratches from Sunday's high-profile matchup between the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field:

New York Jets

• Quarterback Kellen Clemens
• Tight end Jeff Cumberland
• Right tackle Damien Woody
• Defensive lineman Jarron Gilbert
• Defensive tackle Matt Kroul
• Defensive end Trevor Pryce
• Linebacker Jamaal Westerman
• Safety Eric Smith

Pittsburgh Steelers

• Quarterback Charlie Batch
• Running back Jonathan Dwyer
• Tight end Heath Miller
• Tackle Chris Scott
• Defensive tackle Steve McLendon
• Defensive end Aaron Smith
• Cornerback Keenan Lewis
• Safety Troy Polamalu