JET NOTES
Ted Cottrell sounded like he was simply happy to have a job yesterday, but the Jets defensive coordinator acknowledged that he is interested in the San Diego head coaching position, which opened after Mike Riley was fired yesterday.
“I haven’t had any contact with them,” Cottrell said after Jets practice yesterday at Hofstra. “I haven’t really given it any thought. I have other problems.”
Like the defense’s failure to stop Buffalo’s running game in the 14-9 loss that prevented the Jets from getting into the playoffs – at least for now. But Cottrell has worked with San Diego GM John Butler while the two were in Buffalo and interviewed for the Bills’ and Jets’ vacant head coaching spots a year ago. Cottrell said he is looking forward to the opportunity of making a run at the job.
“Every time you interview, you get more at ease,” said Cottrell, who won’t be able to officially interview until after Gang Green’s season is over. “And hopefully, if you do [interview] enough, someone will say ‘yes’ to you.”
Herman Edwards was ready to give him the job yesterday.
“They haven’t called us, but if they do, Ted can talk to them anytime he wants,” Edwards said. “He’s been around a lot of head coaches and is a great leader.”
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Tory Woodbury had been waiting all year for an opportunity like the one he had on Sunday. With :52 to go in the 14-9 loss, Buffalo’s long snapper Mo Unutoa botched a snap to punter Brian Moorman and the rookie Woodbury was there to recover it. The Jets got the ball, but failed to score. If he had picked it up immediately instead of falling on it, he may have gotten to the end zone and given the Jets the lead.
“I wasn’t even thinking about picking the ball up,” Woodbury said. “Now that I’ve had a chance to think about it, I should have kicked the ball and given myself more time to make a big play. Everything was happening so fast, I wasn’t really thinking. I was just happy to get the ball and just wanted to secure it.”
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Edwards stood by his decision of taking the wind to start the game, rather than starting with the ball.
“I talked to [special teams coach] Mike [Westhoff] and Vinny [Testaverde] and with the wind swirling so much, we decided to pin [the Bills] down and get the ball back in good field position because they couldn’t throw the ball, which we did,” said Edwards. “We got in there three times and [messed] up some things.”
