09/24 — Many questions at Eric Mangini's news conference today dealt with variations on the theme of the defense giving up 424 yards and almost the game to the Dolphins:

Was Miami's success on Trent Green screens to Ronnie Brown intended to take advantage of your defense stepping up the pressure to get to the passer? Did you feel your defense let down in allowing the 'Fins to put together two long fourth-quarter touchdown drives?

The head coach had a simple statement about the reporters who kept trying to go yard, and while polite as always, he wasn't smiling.

"I've been a part of a lot of defenses where there were many yards [given up]," Mangini said. "What you're looking for is points, points for the opponent, making sure you have more than they do at the end of the game."

The coach's point could be comforting for all those fans thinking about jumping off a bridge, or wanting the Jets' defense to do same.

Through three quarters, the Jets had given up 258 yards to the Dolphins, not a horrible amount, at 6.1 yards per play, not great but not nearly as ugly as the 7.9 yards per play they gave up on those last two possessions.

And while Green & White supporters are becoming impatient when hearing about patience, consider that New England's defense didn't become a top-10 unit in yardage allowed until early in the 2002 season, Mangini's third season there, and they didn't finish in the top 10 until 2003.

This is not to excuse, for example, the Jets' 27th overall defensive ranking after three games or the four consecutive 10-yard-plus plays with which Miami started its first fourth-quarter series. But hang in there, fans. Improvement happened last season, and it will happen — is happening — this season.

More Chad Notes

A few more nuggets on Chad Pennington's return to action Sunday. For one, his 124 passing yards were his fewest in a winning start in his Jets career. His previous low: 143 yards in the 17-9 win at Miami in 2004.

And over the years, Pennington's strongest passing quarters have been the first and third, but this season his second frame is second to none. In his two second quarters of action, against New England and Miami, he is 14-for-15 for 122 yards and two TDs, which computes to a 1401. passer rating. The only incompletion? The spike to stop the clock vs. the Dolphins.

No Bobbled Snap

It may have surprised some ESPN Radio listeners this morning that Mike (Greenberg) & Mike (Golic) were talking about Mike Nugent's mom, Carolyn, and dad, Dan, back in Centerville, Ohio.

"My parents are diehard fans of the show — they listen to it every morning when they go to work," Nugent said in the locker room today. "Obviously, Mike Greenberg is a huge Jets fan. My mom has noticed he always talks about the Jets, so she sent him something so he could add a little more Jets to his repertoire."

Greenberg was in attendance at the Jets-Dolphins game, and before the opening kickoff, Nugent said, "He grabbed me on the sideline and said, 'I'm going to put it up.' I had no idea what he was talking about."

Now we all know (thanks to ESPN2's simulcast) that  Mike & Mike put up a Mike Nugent Jets Bobblehead doll, adding No. 1 to the lineup of bobbleheads on Golic's desk.