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Wow. Let’s wrap-up this 41-7 rout in Kansas City

What it means: One game does not make a season. But, come on folks, the Kansas City Chiefs can’t be feeling good after this one. To allow the Buffalo Bills to come in and ruin opening day like this is stunning, and, frankly, it’s inexcusable. Remember last year’s opener when the Chiefs played with spunk and outworked the Chargers? It started a special season. What will this stinker be the start of? After a poor preseason, the Chiefs played like a team that was unprepared for the regular season on Sunday. It was outworked and outplayed and it was sloppy and ineffective. Add anything else you like. It was just plain bad and the Chiefs.

Trending: It all started with the reported Jonathan Baldwin-Thomas Jones fight. Until the reported fight in late August, all was fairly solid for the Chiefs. They started slow, but they were healthy and all was good. Then, the bout occurred and Baldwin hasn’t practiced since with a thumb injury. It started a flurry of bad news for the Chiefs. Free-agent pickup, linebacker Brandon Siler, was soon lost for the year with a torn Achilles. Then, standout tight end Tony Moeaki was lost for the season with a torn ACL in his knee. Then the Chiefs went 0-4 in the preseason and now this horrible performance in the opener.

What’s really scary: Going into this game, no one expected the Bills’ offense to be a juggernaut and no one will likely expect it to be after this game. But the Bills rammed it down the Chiefs’ throats. The Chiefs couldn’t do anything defensively against the pass or the run. Kansas City won 10 games last year because the defense was stout. It was awful Sunday.

What's next: The Chiefs have to go to Detroit and play the improved and dangerous Detroit Lions before playing at San Diego in Week 3. Yes, Todd Haley’s crew must get it in gear, pronto.

» NFC Draft Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com NFL blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today's topic: draft rewind -- examining the past five drafts.

Buffalo Bills

Best choice: Defensive lineman Kyle Williams. Only three players in the Bills' past five draft classes have gone to a Pro Bowl. Two of them, Williams and safety Jairus Byrd, still are on the team. Williams was a 2006 fifth-round pick who has emerged as one of the NFL's top interior pass-rushers.

Worst choice: Defensive end John McCargo. The Bills traded up to select McCargo 26th overall in 2006. He has started one game since then. He was a healthy scratch for 15 games last year. The Bills tried to deal him to the Indianapolis Colts in 2009, but he failed his physical and was sent back.

Bubble player: Left tackle Demetrius Bell. On the surface, a starting left tackle from the seventh round sounds like a steal. But when you consider the Bills have banked on Bell and avoided drafting other tackles early enough to compete with him for three years, then you'd expect Bell to be an obvious franchise player. He has been OK, but far from a clear-cut solution.

Miami Dolphins

Best choice: Left tackle Jake Long. There's not much to discuss here aside from wondering how the Dolphins would be different had they drafted Matt Ryan No. 1 in 2008 instead. But Long undoubtedly has been their best draft choice of the past five years. He's an elite blocker and protector. He has been chosen for three Pro Bowls in three seasons.

Worst choice: Quarterback Pat White. The most regrettable pick of the Bill Parcells-Jeff Ireland regime was White at 44th overall in 2009. Not even former general manager Randy Mueller's fateful 2007 draft -- two of 10 picks still on the roster -- had a dud like White, who was cut after one season and retired from baseball seven months later.

Bubble player: Defensive end Jared Odrick. Last year's first-round draft choice is in a tough spot. Odrick played one game because of a hairline leg fracture. While the rookie was out, the Dolphins' three-man defensive front was cemented. Right end Randy Starks went to the Pro Bowl, while some thought left end Kendall Langford had the better season. And don't expect Starks to return to nose tackle to make way for Odrick. The Dolphins placed their franchise tag on nose tackle Paul Soliai.

New England Patriots

Best choice: Inside linebacker Jerod Mayo. Since the Patriots drafted Mayo 10th in 2008, he has led them in tackles all three years, won The Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, has been defensive captain the past two seasons, was named first-team All-Pro last year and went to the Pro Bowl.

Worst choice: Wide receiver Chad Jackson. The Patriots traded with the Green Bay Packers to move up 16 spots and select Jackson 36th overall in 2006. Who did the Packers get with the 52nd pick? Greg Jennings. Injuries and lack of commitment forced Jackson out of New England after two seasons and 13 catches.

Bubble player: Safety Brandon Meriweather. For the most part, Meriweather has been successful. The 24th pick in 2007 has been to a pair of Pro Bowls. But how they voted him a starter last year is a mystery. Bill Belichick removed him from the starting lineup for three games because of disappointing play. That plus Meriweather's presence at a recent multiple shooting in his hometown raises questions about which way his career is going.

New York Jets

Best choice: Cornerback Darrelle Revis. The Jets not only drafted him 14th in 2007, but also spent second- and fifth-round picks to move up 11 spots for the chance. He quickly established himself as an elite lockdown cornerback. As long as he stays healthy, he should remain in the conversation for defensive player of the year for a while.

Worst choice: Defensive end Vernon Gholston. He's one of the biggest busts in franchise history. The Jets used the sixth pick of the 2008 draft on a player they thought would terrorize quarterbacks. The Jets cut him after three seasons and zero sacks.

Bubble player: Running back Shonn Greene. The Jets traded up to make Greene, the reigning Doak Walker Award winner at the time, the first pick on the second day of the 2009 draft. Greene has been solid, but he has played a supporting role to Thomas Jones and then LaDainian Tomlinson. Will 2011 be the season he takes over the lead?

If you don't like reading about how great the New England Patriots are, then you might want to skip this item.

Football Outsiders managing editor Bill Barnwell broke down each offensive skill position using their core metrics, DYAR and DVOA, stats the show how well a player performs compared to NFL average expectations in terms of down, distance, scoring differential and the like.

As you would guess, the Patriots cleaned up.

Barnwell ranked the top five and bottom five players for an ESPN Insider column. Because the piece is for subscribers, I've been given special dispensation to share the AFC East players.

Quarterback: Tom Brady was the top-rated quarterback, as you would expect. His DVOA said he was 53.4 percent better than the average quarterback would be in the various situations.

The AFC East's other quarterbacks weren't in the top or bottom five, which probably surprises many Miami Dolphins and New York Jets fans.

Running back: BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead finished fourth and fifth. Barnwell wrote they "obviously benefit from the presence of a dominant passing game. They aren't the fourth- and fifth-best running backs in football in a vacuum, but their level of production this year has been better than all but three other running backs."

In the bottom-five category were former Patriots running back Laurence Maroney at No. 1 and former Jets workhorse Thomas Jones at No. 5.

Wide receiver: No receivers made the cut in either group, but Patriots star Wes Welker and Dolphins sophomore Brian Hartline were mentioned as the two receivers who performed better than anyone else compared to their stats. Randy Moss didn't register because he didn't generate any numbers worth crunching.

Tight end: Guess what ... Two more Patriots. Rob Gronkowski was No. 3 and Aaron Hernandez was No. 5. Dolphins tight end Anthony Fasano was the most improved from the previous season.

» NFC Wrap-ups: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 8
Preseason Power Ranking: 9

Biggest surprise: LaDainian Tomlinson was supposed to limp into the sunset when he left the San Diego Chargers. The Jets were criticized for dumping their 2009 MVP, Thomas Jones, and picking up an older player with lower expectations. But Tomlinson showed he still had plenty to offer. He took over the lead duties from Shonn Greene and carried the Jets to a 5-1 record at their bye. He had 490 rushing yards with five touchdowns and averaged 5.3 yards a carry at the time. But more importantly he took pressure off sophomore quarterback Mark Sanchez. When Tomlinson's production waned after the bye -- he hasn't rushed for more than 55 yards in a game since -- Sanchez became more of a liability. Tomlinson finished with 914 yards and probably would have eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark had Rex Ryan not rested him for Sunday's game against the gracious Buffalo Bills run defense.

Biggest disappointment: If you drafted the Jets in your fantasy scandal league, then you ran away with the title. They led the league in NFL investigations, including Brett Favre's sexting scandal with Jenn Sterger, the Jets' admitted mistreatment of female reporter Ines Sainz and $100,000 in fines over setting up a sideline wall that led to strength coach Sal Alosi tripping Miami Dolphins gunner Nolan Carroll. They drew even more unwanted attention over Ryan's purported foot-fetish videos and Braylon Edwards' DUI arrest. ... Purely from a football standpoint, Ryan's defense didn't live up to the hype. Top cornerback Darrelle Revis' contract standoff and hamstring injury caused a negative ripple effect. Season-ending injuries to nose tackle Kris Jenkins and safety Jim Leonhard were damaging.

Biggest need: The Jets will have some difficult roster decisions to make over the offseason because so many players have expiring contracts. The biggest holes might not reveal themselves for a while, but upgrading the offensive line will be a priority regardless. Jenkins has undergone reconstructive knee surgery two years in a row. Sione Pouha was an admirable replacement. Overachiever Mike Devito was solid at defensive tackle, and Shaun Ellis was one of their better quarterback chasers. But Ryan's defense needs to be more dynamic up front, especially if Jenkins doesn't return. Ellis will turn 34 and Pouha 31 before next season. Their top backup at defensive end is Vernon Gholston, the sixth overall draft pick in 2008 who has zero NFL sacks.

Team MVP: David Harris, inside linebacker. Other Jets might have played like bigger MVPs for segments of the season -- Tomlinson through the first six games, Santonio Holmes in November -- but Harris was the most constant and consistent presence. Harris led the Jets with 119 tackles and 14 quarterback hits. He had three sacks, one forced fumble and one recovery. Harris also is one the Jets' quieter personalities, which earns him bonus points for 2010.

Yardage by committee: The Jets' offense features several decorated players, but none of them reached the 1,000-yard barrier and none scored more than seven touchdowns. Tomlinson came closest, but Greene appeared to supplant him toward the end of the season. The Jets had five players with at least 41 receptions, but none with more than 55. Tight end Dustin Keller, Edwards, Holmes and Tomlinson finished within three catches and two touchdowns of each other.

ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton has sifted through the exams, scribbled in red marker and determined his final AFC East grades for 2010.

As you would expect, the New England Patriots earned an A. But you might be surprised at some of the other grades.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 17:

The Jets must build some ground-and-pound momentum. Since the start of November, the Jets' vaunted ground attack has been erratic. They've put together some impressive performances in terms of total yardage, but from Weeks 9 through 15, they averaged better than 4 yards an attempt twice and scored four rushing touchdowns. LaDainian Tomlinson's hot start is a distant memory, but this time last year was when Shonn Greene took over for Thomas Jones and helped the Jets reach the AFC Championship Game. Greene averaged 5.8 yards a carry and scored a touchdown last week against the Bears. He needs to remain a force for the Jets to have a shot at a long playoff run.

Tony Sparano's job probably isn't on the line Sunday, but a Dolphins victory wouldn't hurt. NFL Network insider Michael Lombardi reported a few days ago that Bill Parcells already had talked Dolphins owner Stephen Ross into retaining Sparano for 2011. But on Thursday, Sparano said he hadn't yet spoken to Ross about his future, although a meeting had been scheduled. I doubt the result of a Week 17 game with no postseason implications will factor into Ross' decision. I suspect Ross has all but made up his mind already. Still, if the Dolphins can knock off the NFL's best team, then they not only will end the season on a high note but also will avoid finishing with a losing record.

Buffalo on Sunday can slide anywhere from No. 2 to No. 9 in the draft order. Bills fans have been analyzing their draft needs for the past four months. The Panthers have the top pick already locked up. The Bills are 4-11 and tied with the Bengals and Broncos for the second-worst record. But thanks to strong seasons from the Patriots and Jets, the Bills will lose any draft-order tiebreaker because they have a more difficult strength of schedule. The Bills can finish second in the order if they lose to the Jets and the Bengals and Broncos both win. The Bills can't finish worse than ninth because the No. 10 team will own a better record.

Patriots starters will play, but Wes Welker's injury won't be far from anybody's thoughts. Brace yourselves, Patriots fans. Even with the AFC's top seed clinched, it looks like the Patriots are going to use their best players in Sunday's meaningless game versus the Dolphins. Patriots coach Bill Belichick might very well remove them later in the game, but Welker tore up his left knee in the first quarter of last year's irrelevant finale. If the Patriots can escape Sunday without any significant injuries, it would be a relief.

The Jets could use a fast start Sunday against the Bills. The Jets have struggled all year in the first quarter. There's a good chance several of their top players will see limited action Sunday, so a sharp performance while they're on the field could help them generate some confidence for the playoffs. The Jets have scored only 33 first-quarter points. In the Jets' past seven games, they have been outscored 47-13 in the first quarter.

Power Rankings: Preseason: No. 7. This week: No. 5.

2010 schedule/results

Where they stand: Jets head coach Rex Ryan frequently says his goal is to lead the league in wins. The Jets are on their way. They and five other teams are tied for the NFL's best record at 6-2. The Jets are atop the AFC East (for now) by virtue of their Week 2 victory over the New England Patriots, who have the same record. The Jets rank 12th in total offense, 13th in points per game, sixth in total defense and third in scoring defense.

Falling: New York's pass defense has been significantly less intimidating than it was last year. The ability to match Antonio Cromartie on the opposition's best wideout was wonderful while Darrelle Revis was hobbled. But the overall effect with Revis gimping about -- or sidelined completely -- was a secondary that looked much closer to ordinary than Jets fans would prefer. Nickel corner has been a concern. Rookie Kyle Wilson lost his job to Drew Coleman. Both have been blistered.

Another perceived strength heading into the season was depth at receiver once Santonio Holmes served his four-game suspension. A bad case of the dropsies plagued the Jets in a Week 8 loss to the Green Bay Packers, with the normally sure-handed Jerricho Cotchery bumbling the most.

Rising: Swagger is in high supply for the Jets. They easily could be winless in their past three games, but they found ways to salvage victories in Weeks 6 and 9. To an outsider, they got incredibly lucky with late comebacks over the Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions, but in the Jets' locker room, they're feeling invincible. A talented team with that kind of surging confidence is dangerous.

Young quarterback Mark Sanchez continues to impress despite his low completion percentage. His arm is erratic. He's still prone to mental mistakes. But he also has that inexplicable knack for the clutch play. Sanchez has slashed those pathetic turnover numbers from his rookie season. The consistent presence of tight end Dustin Keller (30 receptions for 447 yards and five touchdowns) in the game plan has been a boon.

Midseason MVP: LaDainian Tomlinson wasn't supposed to have anything left. The Jets' decision to let Thomas Jones go and bring in Tomlinson was met with skepticism, but the front office has been proved wise. Tomlinson is on pace to rush for 1,198 yards and 10 touchdowns and 60 catches for 382 yards. Not bad for a retread.

Outlook: The Jets have a minefield schedule ahead. They must make their second tour through the AFC East in addition to games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears and Houston Texans. The Jets, however, are in good shape because they're talented, deep and already have six wins in the bank. They would have to implode to miss the playoffs.

Some thoughts about the Buffalo Bills' 13-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

What it means: Heartbreak again. For the second straight week, the Bills hung tough with a team many expected to annihilate them and went into overtime before losing by a field goal. The Bills are 0-7.

Torture: In sudden death, Bills kicker Rian Lindell missed a 53-yard attempt. On the ensuing possession, Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop missed a 39-yard try before closing them out as bonus time expired.

Live and die with Fitzpatrick: Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick extended his streak of touchdown passes to eight games, tying the game with a 4-yard toss to Steve Johnson in the fourth quarter.

Then the Bills had the ball on the Chiefs' 41-yard line with 32 seconds left in regulation. Eric Berry intercepted at the 27. In overtime, Fitzpatrick was flagged for intentional grounding on a third-down play from the Chiefs' 42-yard line, forcing a punt rather than a possible field goal.

Bills defense pro and con: The Bills held the Chiefs to just 10 points in regulation time, but they also got trampled for 254 rushing yards by Jamaal Charles (177) and Thomas Jones (77).

Johnson's streak intact: His touchdown reception gives him at least one score in five straight games, tying a club record held by Elbert Dubenion (1964), Eric Moulds (1999) and Lee Evans (2004).

What's next: The Bills play their annual "home game" in Toronto in Week 9. The Chicago Bears will be their opponent.

ESPN analysts Mark Schlereth and Tedy Bruschi examine the Buffalo Bills' game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium.

Both predict the Chiefs will win. Bruschi says "this one may be a blowout" because the Bills are so poor at stopping the run, while the Chiefs have Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles.

AccuScore's computers weren't overly impressed with the Buffalo Bills' offensive explosion last week against a respected Baltimore Ravens' defense.

In a departure from Las Vegas' line of thinking, AccuScore forecasts the Bills as the second-biggest underdogs of Week 8. They will play the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium.

AccuScore's 10,000 simulations project the Chiefs as 67 percent favorites. Only the Indianapolis Colts have a greater probability this week in their game against the Houston Texans.

Some other AccuScore predictions to consider for the Bills: hot quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has a 61 percent chance of throwing at least one interception, and if he does, then the Chiefs become 73 percent favorites.

But if Fitzpatrick throws no more than one interception and the Bills' atrocious run defense can keep Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles under 5 yards a carry, then the Bills turn into 56 percent favorites.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Chan Gailey responded with an expression that said Yeah, no kiddin'! when I brought up the adversity his defensive line will face Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Buffalo still owns the NFL's worst run defense despite morphing its 3-4 scheme into more of a four-man front a few weeks ago. Kansas City ranks first in rushing yards per game.

The Chiefs have a pair of running backs who can sting a defense. Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones have combined for 950 yards and five touchdowns already. Charles is averaging 6 yards a carry with two touchdowns. Jones is averaging 4.7 yards a carry and has three touchdowns.

The Bills have been particularly vulnerable between the tackles, surrendering a league-high 476 yards on rushes up the middle, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

For Gailey, there's only one answer for his D-line.

"You've got to whip the blocker and get off the blocker and make the tackle," Gailey said. "You've got to do what you're responsible for in your gap. That's the one thing we've got to continue to get better at is getting on the block so that they can't knock you off the ball and then getting off the block and getting to the tackle.

"That's the No. 1 thing about playing defense: Can you get off the blocker and get to the ball without giving up your gap responsibility? That's it in a nutshell. It’s not that easy, but it's an easier explanation than it is to do."

LaDainian Tomlinson appeared ground down, milled to the brink of retirement.

The San Diego Chargers were done with him. They felt it was time to move on from a diminished running back, Hall of Famer or not.

Or so they assumed.

Turns out time isn't a determinate concept for Tomlinson. He seems to have gotten younger since joining the New York Jets.

"I know what age I am, but it doesn't mean I can't play," Tomlinson said. "All players don't slow down when they get to 30 or 31.

"Some players just defy the odds, and I like to say that I'm that type of player."

Tomlinson has been sensational for the Jets, who are 3-1 (his age with a little dash mixed in) entering Monday night's game against the Minnesota Vikings at the Meadowlands.

The Jets and the Vikings were the only teams that pursued Tomlinson after the Chargers cut him. His age plus recent play made him a tepid commodity at best. Now opposing defenses are the ones chasing after him.

"He's playing inspired ball, and it's obvious that he was going to be a good player," Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez said. "Management was dead right. He's awesome."

In the interest of full disclosure, ESPN.com's projected year-end stat line for Tomlinson was 161 carries for 646 yards (4.0-yard average) and seven touchdowns plus 17 receptions for 118 yards and one touchdown.

Four games into the season, Tomlinson already has 56 carries for 341 yards (6.1-yard average) and three touchdowns along with 12 catches for 82 yards.

He's on pace to rush for 1,364 yards and 12 touchdowns. He's on track for 48 catches for 328 yards.

Those are Tomlinson's numbers circa 2007. He was an All-Pro that year.

"I am not surprised one bit," Vikings quarterback Brett Favre said. "Sometimes you just kind of get lost in the shuffle, and a change of scenery is sometimes good, not only for the team, but for the player. This is one of those cases. That guy, he's playing outstanding."

Tomlinson attributes his resurgence to being free of nagging leg injuries that plagued him the past couple of years. He appears explosive, shifty and in command.

He has started the past two weeks, something the Jets probably didn't count on when they signed him and a role he certainly wouldn't have played with Adrian Peterson in Minnesota.

The Jets released Thomas Jones because they were ready to make Shonn Greene the lead back. Tomlinson was going to be a complement in the run game while providing Sanchez a reliable checkdown target the young quarterback said can "break a defense's back."

Yet Tomlinson has been so much more.

"I just thought he was going to be outstanding. He's been better than that," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "He's amazing."

The Vikings present the most formidable run defense Tomlinson has faced this year. He has been feasting on teams that rank in the bottom half of the league: the Baltimore Ravens (21st), New England Patriots (18th), Miami Dolphins (23rd) and Buffalo Bills (32nd).

Tomlinson will get to face three of those defenses again in December, when the Jets make their second tour of the AFC East circuit.

The Vikings have a track record of nasty run defenses. They ranked No. 1 in 2006, '07 and '08. They were No. 2 last year.

The Vikings are ninth against the run so far this year, allowing 3.6 yards a carry and 87.3 yards a game.

"It doesn't look like he's lost anything to me," Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. "He's making some real good runs. He seems to be really motivated to have a good year. We're going to have our hands full trying to stop him."

The Jets know they need to keep Tomlinson young into the cold-weather months. Tomlinson grew up in Texas and played at Texas Christian University before spending his NFL career in balmy San Diego until this year.

Tomlinson seems spry now, but can he keep it up when the bumps and bruises accumulate and start to sting in the howling Meadowlands winds or in the snow and freezing rain that will fall in the Midwest and Northeast stadiums?

With another capable runner in the backfield -- Greene was the offensive star of the playoffs last season -- Ryan is confident the mere distribution of carries will be Tomlinson's Oil of Olay.

Last week against the Bills, Tomlinson overtook Tony Dorsett for seventh place on the all-time rushing list and earned AFC offensive player of the week honors for the first time since 2006.

Tomlinson ran for 133 yards, most in the NFL that weekend, and two touchdowns. It was his 25th career game of 100-plus yards and at least two touchdowns, tying Jim Brown for the all-time lead. Tomlinson's teams are 25-0 when he does that.

Sure, his time-capsule performance happened against the hapless Bills and Peterson was on a bye last weekend (helping Tomlinson lead the entire league), but his performances have been no less compelling.

"It's obvious he's still a good player," Sanchez said, "and when you put him in the right system, you have an O-line that's opening holes for him and you get a young, stubborn quarterback who is finally figuring out how to check the ball down, he looks like an all-star, and he should. He's that kind of player."

The New York Jets seem to have made the right call in the backfield by releasing Thomas Jones and signing LaDainian Tomlinson.

Their other move at running back, however, is backfiring loudly. The Jets traded Leon Washington to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Jets were wary of Washington's recovery from a compound leg fracture, but he has been a star there so far, returning two kickoffs for touchdowns Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.

The Jets drafted USC's Joe McKnight in the third round. McKnight has been invisible. He had a terrible preseason and hasn't been activated for a regular-season game yet because head coach Rex Ryan doesn't trust him.

Meanwhile, the Jets have seen a pair of their running backs -- passed over because of McKnight -- go to other teams recently. The New England Patriots picked up Danny Woodhead. The St. Louis Rams signed Chauncey Washington from the Jets' practice squad.

Leon Washington appeared on ESPN's "First Take" on Tuesday to talk about his comeback season.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- So many yellow flags. They were strewn all over. They doomed the New York Jets in a 10-9 loss on Monday night.

There have been red flags with the Jets, too.

Not of the challenge variety, mind you. But maybe that's what they need, to be challenged a little more when it comes to discipline.

In the preseason, head coach Rex Ryan made a fiery speech to his players for exhibiting a lack of leadership and what he called "jackass" behavior. The scene was one of the most memorable from the "Hard Knocks" series, with Ryan's final words "now let's go eat a goddamn snack!"

Ryan was incensed partly because his players were eating McDonald's cheeseburgers during warmups for a public practice at Hofstra University.

Ryan addressed his team again Monday night. The Baltimore Ravens had eaten their lunch and wiped their mouths with the many yellow handkerchiefs lying around. The Ravens won by only a point, but the reason they won was troubling.

"That's not who we are," Ryan said. "That's not how we play. We pride ourselves on being one of the least penalized defenses in the league. Today was a joke."

Focus was a problem beyond penalties. Running back Shonn Greene fumbled twice, losing one. On their final offensive play -- fourth-and-10 from their own 31-yard line and with 41 seconds left -- tight end Dustin Keller made a catch near the sideline, no defender near him. With a clear look at the marker, he went out of bounds obviously short of the first down.

"That was Ripley's," Ryan said.

The Jets committed 15 penalties, 14 of which the Ravens accepted for 125 yards. They had nine penalties in the second quarter alone.

The Jets helped the Ravens set a franchise record with six first downs via penalty. The record was tied by halftime.

"It cost us the game really," Jets outside linebacker Jason Taylor said. "We played pretty darn well in a lot of situations. Maybe you can attribute it to a lack of discipline, but penalties that give up first downs are bad. We need to clean it up for sure."

The sheer number of penalties was bad enough. The situations were even more wretched.

Penalties gave the Ravens first downs on four plays that were third-and-9 or longer. A defensive holding call on rookie cornerback Kyle Wilson turned an incomplete pass on third-and-28 into a Ravens first down.

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie was flagged four times for 43 yards, including a 28-yard pass interference on a third-and-9 incompletion.

"It's just inexcusable," said Taylor, who jumped offsides to turn a third-and-3 into a second-and-1. "We did more to give it away than we did to get beat. You can't blame anybody but yourselves. You have to look in the mirror and say: 'We did it to ourselves.' We lost the game 10-9 and had plenty of chances to win and shot ourselves in the foot."

Receiver Braylon Edwards wiped out a pair of plays that would have done the Jets a world of good. He was called for an illegal shift on a beautiful 33-yard strike from Mark Sanchez to Keller down the right sideline in the second quarter.

On a nifty up-the-middle maneuver to block a field goal, Edwards ran into Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff. The penalty gave the Ravens a first down on a drive that eventually ended with the game's only touchdown.

Another third-down penalty, of course, helped. On third-and-10, Wilson was charged with pass interference in the end zone to set up Willis McGahee's 1-yard touchdown run.

I asked linebacker Bart Scott what all the penalties said about the Jets.

"I don't know," Scott said. "You tell me."

Undisciplined? Unprepared?

"If that's what you want to say," he said. "Whatever you want to say."

That was the first impression the Jets made for 2010.

You have to wonder if the happy-funtime atmosphere Ryan condones is negatively impacting them. Ryan already has had to talk to his players at least twice about unprofessionalism and sloppiness.

The Jets have made several offseason moves that reduced their leadership presence in the locker room, parting with running back Thomas Jones, guard Alan Faneca and kicker Jay Feely, all character veterans. They also jerked fullback Tony Richardson around, cutting him and then re-signing him a week before the season.

More questions were raised this week about how the Jets conduct themselves. They created a stir Saturday with the way they treated Ines Sainz at practice and in the locker room.

Sainz wasn't taken seriously partly because she doesn't take her job seriously. She's promoted on the TV Azteca website as a reporter and a model and is known for showing up to events such as the Super Bowl media day and convincing players to do things like let her measure their muscles or give her a ride on their shoulder pads.

Nevertheless, the club was embarrassed. Jets owner Woody Johnson apologized to Sainz for the team's misbehavior and vowed his team would act with more class henceforth. The Association for Women in Sports Media has gotten involved. The NFL is investigating.

From an outsider's perspective, my own included, it would appear the Jets are running a loose ship.

Taylor scoffed at that idea.

"Hell, no," Taylor said. "Everyone's entitled to their opinion, I guess. But they're not on the ship."

In the same episode of Ryan's "goddamn snack" speech, Taylor showed up late for two practices. Each time, Taylor's coaches laughed off his tardiness.

Last year at Gillette Stadium, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick kicked four players off the premises for showing up a few minutes late to a team meeting on a wintry day when the roads were treacherous. Three of them were Pro Bowlers: Randy Moss, Adalius Thomas and Derrick Burgess.

The Jets have a short week to get ready for the Patriots this Sunday.

We'll see who has the most fun.

From the starting lineup of their regular-season finale, the New York Jets have lopped 77 seasons of experience.

No wonder head coach Rex Ryan was bemoaning a lack of leadership in the latest episode of "Hard Knocks."

On Sunday, the Jets released veteran fullback Tony Richardson -- a day after he survived the cutdown deadline for the 53-man roster.

Richardson is trying to play a 16th NFL season. He was outplayed by rookie John Conner, but it was clear watching "Hard Knocks" the Jets coaching staff viewed Richardson as highly important to the 2010 cause. He was considered perhaps the most prominent leader in the locker room.

"Each season, there are difficult choices when constructing the 53-man roster, and this year is no exception," Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said in a statement. "We appreciate Tony's contributions and leadership over the past two seasons and have nothing but the highest respect for him as a person and as a player."

The Jets also waived running back Chauncey Washington and receiver David Clowney. The dismissals cleared way for three waiver pickups: receiver Patrick Turner from the Miami Dolphins, tackle Patrick Brown from the Minnesota Vikings and defensive tackle Marcus Dixon from the Dallas Cowboys.

Richardson joined a long list of veterans who aren't around from a roster that was good enough to get the Jets to the AFC Championship Game, among them running back Thomas Jones (10 seasons), guard Alan Faneca (12 seasons), defensive end Marques Douglas (nine seasons), kicker Jay Feely (nine seasons) and long snapper James Dearth (nine seasons).

In fact, of the 10 most experienced players on the Jets' final roster last year, including injured reserve, only three remain: right tackle Damien Woody, nose tackle Kris Jenkins and defensive end Shaun Ellis.

Granted, the Jets did add veterans via free agency. Quarterback Mark Brunell is entering his 18th season, running back LaDainian Tomlinson his 10th and pass-rusher Jason Taylor his 14th. But all of them were signed with the intention to be backups.

You have to wonder whether the Jets have over-tinkered their roster.