The San Jose Sharks allowed Joel Hanley with 1:28 p.m. the third period in a 3-2 defeat against the Calgary Flames on Sunday within the Scotiabank Saddledome.

After the teams played 4-on-4 games, a carefree Hanley from Jonathan Huberdeau got and beat the shark goalkeeper Alexandar Georgiev Low on the blocker page for his first goal of the season and broke a 2-2 difference.

Only 39 seconds in front of Hanley's goal, each Haienstürmer Ty Dellandrea and Flames captain Mikael Backlund were sent with minor punishments. Dellandrea then needed to be faraway from the sport attributable to a concealment protocol after flaming forward Connor Zary, although the officers had not seen this game.

Referee Trevor Hanson spoke to Shark's coach Ryan Warsofsky after the penalties had been called. Instead of beginning a power game, the sharks were in a fair situation.

(Hanson) said (Dellandrea) first held (backlund). I’d should return and have a look at it, ”said Warsofsky. “I saw it quickly. I don't understand. I mean, (dellandrea) the vacuum cleaner is hit in the face, and then it is called by the spotter and we even come out.

“That is, to say the least.”

“Only two boys modified, ran a bit interference and were hit in the top,” said Dellandrea across the play.

Macklin Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli scored with 33 parades, but it wasn't enough when the Sharks (15-36-7) opened a road trip with seven games with their 11th defeat in their last 12 games. Flames goalkeeper Dustin Wolf, a native of Gilroy, ended with 26 parades.

“It (stinks),” said Toffoli. “If someone says that they have a good time to lose games, I don't want them to be honest in my team. It is one of these things in which we only have to continue working and continue to try to find a way to the fight and we have to get some victories. “

Defender Timothy Lilybren left the sport on Sunday in the midst of the second half with an unknown injury. Warsofsky had no update after the sport.

The defeat of the Sharks, her nineteenth of the season after a goal, was six times on Sunday, including thrice within the third period.

When the sharks tried to bind the sport, Henry Thrun took a delay in the sport penalty with 2:56 to go to the third. After the sharks killed this, William Eklund Huberdeau lowered with a 49 second lead within the regulation. Eklund also received a 10-minute misconduct of the piece.

“It was a tight game,” said Dellandrea. “I thought we played well, but not good enough to win. We have to tighten some things and do not let these goals go into our network. But we did a lot of things we wanted to do, just a late destination in the third. “

The sharks fell 2-1 within the 3: 35 mark of the second period when Kevin Rooney fell against the web and was pressed back to Georgiev for his fourth goal.

The sharks then tied the sport together on the third 1:54 brand of the third when Toffoli went online and scored his twenty first goal of the season.

The sharks and flames acted destinations in the primary period.

With the puck within the Flames zone, Jake Walman sent a puck behind the network of Tyler Toffoli. Celebrini then broke as much as the slot, took the pass from Toffoli and defeated Flames goalkeeper Dustin Wolf for his 18th season goal within the 3:41 mark of the primary period. Celebrinis 18 goals brought him in front of the Flyers Flyers Matvei Michkov in Philadelphia for the tour of all NHL rookies.

The flames brought back this goal at 7:27 a.m. After Henry Thrun kept within the box, Nazem Kadri took a pass from Morgan Frost and shot a shot that looked from Walman before he got here past Shark's goalkeeper Alexandar Georgiev.

Georgiev had 13 parades in the primary period when he began his first start since February 4th. He was also on the lookout for the last time after his first victory since January 14, when the sharks won a game on the road once they defeated the Detroit Red Wings 6-3 within the Little Caesars Arena. S

Since this game, the sharks have been 0-5-0 from home before Sunday.

The sharks hoped for a nine -day break, 4 exercises this week and the return of the experienced centers Alexander Wennberg and Nico Sturm would result in a positive begin to this 12 -day road trip, which can proceed on Monday with a game against the Western Conference – Leading Winnipeg Jets.

Since this victory in Detroit, the Sharks record has been 1-9-1 and stood before Sunday at the tip of the NHL classification.

“When we removed the break, we needed the reset mentally and physically,” said Warsofsky on Sunday morning. “This is a big one. In practice we had something really good energy. I liked our practices very much in the past week and hopefully we can take a step in the right direction. “

Originally published: February 23, 2025 at 8:20 p.m. PST

SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks once more fought until the tip against a powerful opponent. But once more they failed to keep up their lead within the third period.

With lower than 12 minutes left in regulation, the Sharks were up by one and allowed goals to Kyle Connor and Adam Lowry, with Lowry's goal at 18:47 of the third period being the difference in a 4-3 Sharks defeat to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday within the SAP Center.

The Sharks have been competitive in most games since late October, going head-to-head with the Jets, who lead the league with 47 points and a .712 points percentage.

However, that didn't soften one other narrow defeat, the second home defeat in a row that got here with a goal within the last two minutes.

The Sharks lost 4-3 to the Utah Hockey Club on a goal scored by Clayton Keller with 44 seconds left in regulation.

“I think we are all competitors. “Everyone is frustrated with the result,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “I think we've made some progress since the last game. I thought we played harder for 60 minutes tonight.”

Still, San Jose has now lost three one-goal third-period leads in its last 4 games. They also gained a late lead within the 2:3 defeat against the Carolina Hurricanes.

San Jose now has a record of 7-7-5 in one-goal games this season.

“To be a good team, you have to finish it in the third period,” said Sharks defenseman Jake Walman, who had two assists. “I think there are a lot more positives we can focus on. That’s the main thing.”

Walman had two assists, and Tyler Toffoli and Macklin Celebrini contributed a goal and an assist for the Sharks, who face the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday to finish a three-game homestand.

“I think we should have won, so I don’t think there’s a moral victory,” Sharks winger Tyler Toffoli said. “I think we look at it as a loss and have to work on getting better tomorrow.”

Georgiev, who made his first start for the Sharks in San Jose, was largely regular and finished the sport with 29 saves. He allowed Connor two goals, including an influence play point that tied the sport at 3-3 at 11:56 of the third period.

“Everyone is fighting super hard. I feel like there was a lot of good today. “Five-on-five, we definitely spent a lot of time in their offensive zone,” Georgiev said. “We tried to do a lot and we succeeded. So that's good to see. We don’t worry about the offense, we just care about the rush, and that helps me a lot too.”

Sharks goaltender Vitek Vanecek, who was assisting Georgiev, was sitting at one end of the bench early within the second period when he was hit in the top by a puck.

Vanecek left the bank and didn’t return. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky had no update on Vanecek after the sport.

Tuesday's game was looking good for the Sharks as winger Fabian Zetterlund scored at 4:44 of the third period to offer his team a 3-2 lead.

Walman controlled the puck within the Sharks' zone and sent it to Zetterlund within the neutral zone. Zetterlund then beat Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck on his wing for his eleventh goal of the season and his second in as many games.

On Celebrini's goal, he took a pass from Walman along the boards and skated toward the middle of the ice. With DeMelo standing in his way, Celebrini steered the persist with his right and quickly sent an unobtrusive backhand shot into the online.

Celebrini's shot might need surprised Hellebuyck, but last season's Vezina Trophy winner simply didn't see it. Either way, the ability play goal tied the sport 2-2 with 2:49 left within the second period.

Celebrini also assisted on Toffoli's goal within the second period. With his seventh multi-point game, Celebrini passed Jeff Friesen for probably the most points by an 18-year-old in Sharks history.

The Sharks created a handful of probabilities to attain in the primary period, but were still down 1-0 after 20 minutes.

The Jets sent a pass to the Sharks' blue line, which Gabriel Vilardi directed past a pinching Walman. Mark Scheifele then caught the loose puck, brought it under the San Jose goal line and passed it in front to an open Connor, who switched from backhand to forehand to beat Georgiev.

Against the Jets, Warsofsky wanted his team to be the attacker and never hold back.

“As a team, there are some things I'm looking for and individually there's some things I'm looking for,” Warsofsky said Tuesday morning. “Guys that stick their nose in, go for the pucks and win 50/50 pucks, it's been a big problem for us this year to get 50/50 pucks, so that's what I'm going for.”

The Sharks went 3-3-0 on a recently accomplished road trip and opened a three-game homestand with a blowout loss to Utah on Saturday. The Sharks disagreed with a few of the officials' allegations against them and felt more allegations might have been made against Utah.

Notably, a close-by referee within the second period didn’t call what gave the impression to be a boarding penalty for Utah forward Kevin Stenlund's hit from behind on Celebrini, who hit the boards hard but was not injured.

Immediately after the tip of the sport, the cameras showed Warsofsky yelling on the referees for a number of seconds before leaving the Sharks' bench and returning to the team's locker room.

On Tuesday, the NHL fined Warsofsky $25,000 for “inappropriate conduct” in the course of the game.

“It’s something I’m trying to get better at,” Warsofsky said Tuesday morning. “At the same time, I’m passionate. I wear my feelings on my sleeve. It overwhelms me at times, but at the end of the day I need our players back and that won’t change.”

Originally published: December 17, 2024 at 10:06 pm PST

Patriots

FOXBOROUGH – As shocking because the Patriots' 2-6 record could also be to this point this fall, it's fair to say that expectations for a rebuilding squad in Foxborough weren't all that prime to start with.

The same can’t be said for the New York Jets. Although New York opened the 12 months with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, after the Patriots' dramatic 25-22 win at Gillette Stadium, it now sits at the identical miserable 2-6 record as New England.

Beyond the expected return of future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Rodgers from a season-ending Achilles tendon injury, New York was poised to field a stacked roster with young playmakers on each side of the ball, similar to Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams.

But things have quickly gone downhill for Rodgers and the Jets, culminating in Sunday's last-minute loss to a Patriots team that was without its most dynamic player in Drake Maye (concussion) for a lot of the game.

And with New York now observing one other season with an eye fixed on the playoffs, Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich pulled no punches in his postgame address.

“I'm pissed off. They are angry. I'm hurt. They’re hurt,” Ulbrich said. “We are not performing well in critical moments, especially not on the home stretch. We had the opportunity to win that game, should have won it, but we didn't. …This is a moment of darkness and we understand that the outside world will now become very loud.

“But the one thing I know in life is that when things get dark and hard, you work and point the finger at yourself and look within and figure out what I can do better from an individual perspective.”

Despite Ulbrich's rather gloomy attitude, Rodgers agreed with his coach's opinion about the state of an imploding Jets organization.

“I was in the dark,” Rodgers said. “You have to go in there and make peace with it. Offensively, our goal simply has to be to score 30 points. No matter what the other two teams do. We have confidence in our defense and our teams, but if we don't score 30 points we are underperforming. This offense can do that every week.”

“I was in the dark. You have to go in there and make peace with it.”

Aaron Rodgers was asked if this was a moment of darkness for the Jets and get out of it: pic.twitter.com/Cv7SjGHaAR

— Jets Videos (@snyjets) October 27, 2024

The 40-year-old Rodgers, once considered one in every of the pillars of the Jets' supposed success, was underwhelming in his first full season with New York.

Rodgers finished Sunday's loss completing 17 of his 28 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns. But he still falls in need of the high standards he set for himself in Green Bay — throwing 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in eight games this season.

While Rodgers was never a real dual-threat QB, his agility and talent to operate from his own pocket made him one of the dangerous playmakers in NFL history. But the veteran QB might be showing his age, especially after being limited this week with knee and hamstring injuries.

Several Patriots players noted after Sunday's 25-22 win that Rodgers had trouble escaping pressure.

“Yeah, I think he’s struggling right now,” Davon Godchaux said of Rodgers. “That’s a Hall of Fame quarterback right there. You hate to see him perform like that, but you'll always win against him on your resume.

“But he definitely doesn’t look the same. He kept moving back there – I was able to overrun him and catch him. He doesn't look mobile at all. It was good for us. We know we can come out and attack them in the passing game too.”

At this point within the season, New York has already exhausted several options in hopes of turning the season around. The Jets already fired head coach Robert Saleh earlier this month and traded for Rodgers' longtime Packers teammate Davante Adams two weeks ago.

The Jets at the moment are 0-3 under Ulbrich, while Adams (seven catches, 84 yards, zero touchdowns) has yet to be a game-changer on offense in two games.

At this point, the Jets are what they’re under Rodgers and company. And it's not all that different from previous iterations of this franchise.

“Yes, I imagine it could be, yes. Not for me, but I imagine it could be,” Rodgers said when asked if Jets players who haven’t had success are hard to purchase into. “That's why the guys who were having success had to take the lead to get us out of this.”

William Eklund and Will Smith won’t play Friday night when the San Jose Sharks face the Winnipeg Jets to finish a three-game road trip. However, each strikers will likely be out for various reasons.

Eklund is battling an upper-body injury suffered within the Sharks' 4-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. Eklund had two assists in 19 minutes of ice time against the Hawks and stated after the sport that he was removed from 100% healthy.

However, Smith will likely be a healthy scratch, but not due to his poor play. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said Friday morning that Smith's appearance against the Jets is a component of the team's development plan for the 19-year-old center, who’s entering his first skilled season.

“It has nothing to do with performance, it's just part of the plan and he will be out tonight,” Warsofsky said of Smith, who could return to the lineup as early as Sunday when the Sharks host the Colorado Avalanche.

Smith had his best night in a Sharks jersey on Thursday, Warsofsky said.

Playing in front of about 50 friends and relations in Chicago, Smith logged a career-high 19 minutes of ice time while centering a line with Luke Kunin and Barclay Goodrow. According to Natural Stat Trick, this line had a Corsi-for percentage of 80, with the trio combining for five shots on goal.

“Best game he ever played,” Warsofsky said of Smith, who has gone pointless in 4 NHL games. “Looked more comfortable, was more engaged, ran more, played with the puck more. I think it was definitely a step in the right direction.”

Danil Gushchin and Givani Smith will replace Will Smith and Eklund within the lineup, even though it was not yet clear which line they may play on. Gushchin, who has had a healthy gap within the last three games, skated with Tyler Toffoli and Mikael Granlund on the Sharks' top line in Chicago on Wednesday when the ailing Eklund didn’t practice.

The strategy the Sharks are using with Will Smith will not be unusual for young players.

Last season, the Anaheim Ducks used a load management strategy with center Leo Carlsson, whom they chose second overall within the 2023 NHL Draft. Instead of bringing the then 18-year-old back to Sweden or sending him to the AHL to achieve more skilled experience on North American ice, the Ducks kept Carlsson on their roster with built-in breaks.

Carlsson played 55 of 82 games for the Ducks, a complete not much different than the 44 games he played in his final yr with Orebro HK within the Swedish Hockey League within the 2022–23 season. With Anaheim, the 1.90 meter tall Carlsson had 29 points and averaged just over 18 minutes of ice time per game.

When asked if the Ducks' plan for Carlsson and the Sharks' plan for Will Smith were similar, Warsofsky didn’t provide any information. Smith played 41 games for Boston College last yr and led all NCAA Division I players with 71 points.

“I can’t speak for the Ducks’ plan with Leo,” Warsofsky said. “That’s our plan with Will, and we’re going with him.”

It's unclear how rather more time Eklund has to miss. After Sunday's game, the Sharks begin a four-game road trip Oct. 22-28 with stops in Anaheim, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Utah. Eklund has three assists in 4 games and leads all Sharks forwards with a mean of 21:36 of ice time per game.

Without Smith, Macklin Celebrini (lower-body injury) and Eklund, Friday's game is a possibility for Gushchin to get back within the lineup and prove he deserves to remain there.

Gushchin had a superb training camp with nine points in 4 preseason games, but hasn't played in a game for the reason that Sharks' season opener against St. Louis on Oct. 10, when he had 10:20 of ice time. Warsofsky wouldn't say where Gushchin might place against a Jets team that’s outscoring opponents 10-2 while off to a 3-0-0 start.

“He’ll get a good opportunity,” Warsofsky said of Gushchin. “He has to do what he did in training camp. He needs to understand that this is a really good opportunity for him to play important minutes and help our hockey team and establish himself.”

CELEBRINI UPDATE: Warsosky said Celebrini continues to undergo weekly rehabilitation, but added that the 18-year-old centerman is getting closer to getting back on the ice.

“I'm focused on the guys here today because there's a big game coming up tonight,” Warsofsky said. “I would say still week by week, but I think he’s getting closer.”

The Sharks' offense has struggled without Celebrini, scoring just 4 goals within the last three games, all at even strength. The power play was 0:9 during this time.

Warsofsky said he wanted the facility play to have “more of an attack mentality.”

“Obviously this has changed the personnel in almost every single game,” he said, “so we have to build chemistry and work on developing the guys’ skills individually on the power play.”

Originally published: October 18, 2024 at 10:09 am

Patriots

The Jets dominated their matchup with the Patriots on Thursday evening.

New England only managed 139 yards on offense. The Patriots had run more yards within the previous two weeks.

Aaron Rodgers effortlessly dismantled the Patriots’ undermanned defense.

The offensive line couldn’t protect either Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye.

For the primary time this season, the Patriots stayed under 10 points. Here are three reasons for the loss.

Jets were more physical within the running game

After last week's loss to Seattle, coach Jerod Mayo told reporters that these Patriots are usually not a flowery football team.

Over the last two weeks, New England has been in a position to move the ball effectively on the bottom. The offensive line, despite its issues in pass protection, has been in a position to do enough within the run game to maintain the ball moving fairly consistently.

Thursday night was different. The Jets stopped New England's running game early and the Patriots kind of gave up within the second half after falling behind by double digits.

Rhamondre Stevenson was held to 23 yards on six fumble runs for the third straight game. Antonio Gibson only got the ball twice within the running game.

The Patriots defense is missing two of its best players in Christian Barmore and Ja'Whaun Bentley, and it showed. Braelon Allen and Breece Hall combined for over 100 yards, although neither had a run of over 11 yards. It was a solid, tough and physical performance by the New York backs and offensive line.

Problems within the offensive

It was an extended night for the Patriots offensive line. They failed to ascertain a run, which made their already questionable passing game much more vulnerable.

The Jets were within the Patriots' backfield all night. Jacoby Brissett was sacked five times. Drake Maye, who filled in for the ultimate minutes, was sacked on the last play of the sport.

There were several occasions where rushers got through completely unhindered. And communication issues were only a part of the issue. There were many instances where the offensive line was completely overwhelmed.

This offensive line had problems defending passes even when healthy. Injuries also took their toll; New England began with two rookies, Caedan Wallace and Layden Robinson.

Wallace left the sport within the fourth quarter with a knee injury, making the already thin roster of offensive tackles even thinner.

The Jets applied pressure everywhere in the field, and it was not a fairly sight for the Patriots.

Aaron Rodgers took them apart

Aaron Rodgers delivered a particularly efficient performance: he accomplished 27 of 35 passes for 281 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The 40-year-old Rodgers didn't need to make use of his legs or make big throws to interrupt through the Patriots' defense. He systematically dismantled them along with his fast game.

The recipe for fulfillment was short, quick running routes and benefiting from unfavorable opponent conditions, equivalent to with the 1.95 m tall and 102 kg heavy Allen Lazard, when the Patriots fielded smaller cornerbacks against him.

Rodgers consistently served tight end Tyler Conklin. He distributed the ball and hit eight different receivers, each of whom caught multiple balls. A wise performance from the four-time league MVP.

SANTA CLARA – The 49ers will play their first preseason game Saturday night on the road against the Tennessee Titans, one month before the beginning of the 2024 regular season.

Here is an outline of an important dates before the opening:

10 August:

The 49ers have their first dress rehearsal against an opposing team. Jordan Mason will likely play near his hometown of Gallatin, Tennessee, with Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell out with injuries. Brock Purdy leads the starting offense within the preseason for the primary time in his profession, due to rehab from an elbow injury last 12 months.

15-16 August:

This 12 months's iteration of the trendy tradition of joint workouts pairs the 49ers with the Saints. If Trent Williams doesn't return from his contract injury, Jaylon Moore can be tasked with keeping former short-term 49ers defensive end Chase Young from sacking Purdy.

18 August:

The only likelihood for 49ers fans to see the team at a house game before the season begins. Fans of the East Bay Raiders could have the prospect to see Derek Carr, who has long been a subject of debate amongst fans.

23 August:

The former cross-Bay rivals will face one another within the preseason for the third time in 4 years. Jimmy Garoppolo won’t be the Raiders' quarterback on this affair after being released within the offseason and signing with the Rams.

27 August:

The 49ers have tough decisions to make as they prepare for a season crammed with ups and downs. Key questions include the backup quarterback spots, the ultimate variety of linebackers and the cornerback positions in depth.

28 August:

How lots of the 49ers' preferred practice squad players won’t be claimed by other teams after roster reduction day?

September 9:

Are you ready for football (with a touch of drama)? Northern California native Aaron Rodgers, 40, leads the Jets into Levi's Stadium to open the season for the second straight 12 months on Monday night. In his debut for the Jets last 12 months, he tore his Achilles tendon on the third play of the opening game at MetLife Stadium.

politics

SOMEWHERE IN UKRAINE (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy unveiled Ukraine's newly arrived F-16 fighter jets on Sunday, saying the planes would boost the country's war effort against Russia.

“These jets are in our skies and today you see them,” said Zelensky, standing in front of two of the fighter jets as two others flew overhead in close formation. “It's good that they are here and that we can use them.”

Ukraine can also be trying to steer its neighbouring countries to assist defend against Russian missiles, said Zelensky.

“This decision is probably difficult for our partners, as they always fear unnecessary escalation,” the Ukrainian president said. “We will work on it… I think we have a good option for a NATO-Ukraine Council… so that NATO countries can talk to Ukraine about the possibility of a small coalition of neighboring countries that would shoot down enemy missiles.”

Two F-16 jets covered in camouflage nets and bearing the Ukrainian trident insignia on the tail provided a dramatic backdrop for Zelensky's address on Air Force Day, an event held at an undisclosed location under tight security to guard the fighter jets from Russian attacks.

“Since the beginning of this war, we have been talking with our partners about the need to protect our Ukrainian skies from Russian missiles and Russian aircraft,” Zelensky said. “Now we have a new reality in our skies. The F-16s are in Ukraine. We made it possible. I am proud of our guys who have mastered these aircraft and have already started using them for our country. … Our fighter jets will bring us closer to victory.”

A senior Ukrainian military official said Ukraine may deploy among the F-16 fighter jets at foreign bases to guard them from Russian attacks. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow could consider attacks on facilities in NATO countries if the fighter jets utilized in Ukraine are based there.

Made within the USA, the F-16 is an iconic fighter jet that has been the frontline combat aircraft of selection for NATO and various air forces around the globe for 50 years.

Although the F-16s are latest to Ukraine, they are literally older fighter jets donated by Ukraine's Western allies. Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have pledged to deliver greater than 60 of those machines to Ukraine in the approaching months, but deliveries could also be slow. Zelensky didn’t say what number of F-16s have arrived in Ukraine or which countries they got here from.

US President Joe Biden gave the green light for the stationing of used F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine in August 2023. However, the US is not going to supply its own aircraft.

The F-16s will boost Ukraine's military strength, especially by improving its air defenses, but analysts say they alone is not going to turn the tide of the war.

Russia is making small but regular battlefield gains within the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, and its regular advance is intensifying as Ukraine steadily loses ground.

NFL

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers is officially putting his Achilles tendon tear behind him.

The New York Jets quarterback has no restrictions as he practices with the team during organized team activities that began Monday.

“He does everything,” coach Robert Saleh said Tuesday.

Rodgers, 40, tore his left Achilles tendon in his fourth debut with the Jets within the season opener against Buffalo on Sept. 11. He moved forward together with his rehabilitation with the intention of returning at the tip of last season, but decided to desert those plans when New York was eliminated from playoff contention and he was still not 100% healthy.

Rodgers as an alternative focused on being fully ready for this season – and he appears to be well on his technique to doing so.

“He has no limitations and looks good,” Saleh said. “The arm talent is obviously still there. It's really just a matter of getting used to everything again. We're trying a lot of new things too. It's just about continuing to develop within the offensive line.”

Saleh said during offseason workouts earlier this month that the Jets expected Rodgers to be freed from restrictions after OTAs began.

On Tuesday, Saleh said whether Rodgers is 100% healthy is a greater query for the quarterback to reply, but added: “As far as we're concerned, his performance and his ability, there are no limitations for us. I ask him to do it at practice.”

Rodgers' return has fueled optimism among the many Jets, who were considered playoff contenders a 12 months ago – with talk of a Super Bowl appearance suggested by the quarterback and his teammates.

New York, which has the longest energetic playoff drought within the NFL at 13 seasons, is again named among the many teams considered contenders. The league's schedulers also value the team very highly and have scheduled the Jets for six prime-time night games in the primary eleven weeks.

Mike North, the NFL's vp of broadcast planning, said last week, “I feel like the Jets kind of owe us something” after the team scheduled five prime-time games and Rodgers was injured in Week 1.

“It’s New York, there will always be excitement,” Saleh said. “It's great that we are viewed in this light. But at the same time, none of it matters unless we focus on the process, take it day by day and try to do the best we can.”