Shonn

Greene

Benson also indicated the Jets touched base “way earlier” in the summer. Out of touch with his market value entering his age-29 season, Benson “made it pretty clear” to SiriusXM radio’s Adam Schein that he’s holding out for more than the veteran minimum salary. Unless the Seahawks get desperate in the wake of Marshawn Lynch’s DUI arrest, he’s not going to get his wish. The Packers’ interest is proof that the team hasn’t closed the door on a veteran backfield addition.

It enabled Mark Sanchez to tie a career-high with 44 pass attempts, but also exposed him to a beating behind an underperforming offensive line, as he took four sacks amidst almost constant pressure. The strategy did allow the Jets to take advantage of a banged up Cowboys secondary, but was also undoubtedly one of the reasons for Shonn Greene’s dismal performance. HC Rex Ryan has already said he wishes he would have run more, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Sanchez doesn’t approach 44 attempts again this season.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was constantly blitzing, leading to 44 Mark Sanchez pass attempts versus 16 running plays. “I don’t want our numbers to ever be like that,” Rex said. Look for Shonn Greene to push for something closer to 18 carries against the Jaguars on Sunday.

“It could be awhile,” a source told beat writer Manish Mehta. Mehta refers to the loss as “sobering news” after Sunday’s defeat of the Jaguars. Mangold is widely considered the league’s best center, and his backup is an undrafted rookie. Expect more struggles for the Jets’ inside running game going forward. Through two games, Shonn Greene is averaging just 2.88 yards per carry.

Racking up yardage after first contact, Greene was able to power his way to some nice gains. That being said, there were plenty of times where Greene was unable to accelerate through wide open rushing lanes, and a majority of his runs late in the game were stuffed at the line. It’s becoming increasingly (and alarmingly for the Jets) clear that he’s not that talented of a runner or receiver.

Greene is never going to be confused for a dynamic talent, but his straight-ahead style worked Sunday with the Jets committing to two-back and two-tight end sets. It’s telling, though, that his longest run went for just nine yards. Greene is averaging just 48 rushing yards per game heading into a Week 6 matchup against Miami. The return of Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold and a ground ‘n’ pound philosophy should increase Greene’s effectiveness going forward.

He added one reception for three yards, too. Taking out a 20-yard run, he managed just 2.7 yards per carry on the night and got what his offensive line blocked. He’s locked into his lead back role for now and should see a similar workload going forward.

No one should hold their breath while waiting for Greene to do something spectacular. He gets what is blocked and lately that hasn’t been much. Through six games, Greene is averaging just 52.3 rushing yards per game and getting 3.4 yards per carry. LaDainian Tomlinson was mixed into base packages more than usual Monday night, ending up with a season-high seven carries.

One-third of Greene’s fantasy production came in back-to-back December games after a plodding start and a mid-season deviation from the run-oriented offense. Greene’s 2012 fantasy outlook will depend heavily on the Jets’ early draft selections later this month.

The extra bulk was an offseason goal for McKnight, ostensibly to challenge Shonn Greene for backfield snaps after the Jets failed to add an impact tailback in free agency or the draft. It should be noted, however, that backs don’t always improve with added weight. Felix Jones, a recent example, noticeably lost explosiveness.