09/23 — This was a bend-but-don't-break afternoon for the Jets' defense. The players were happy with the win and with their first takeaway and first sack of the season, but they also know they did almost too much bending against Ronnie Brown and company in their 31-28 win over the Dolphins.

"We did OK," said S Kerry Rhodes, who came up with that takeaway on a third-quarter interception of Trent Green. "They killed us with screens today. Like Coach Mangini says, 'After every win or loss there are things we can work on.' Screens are what we need to work on after this week."

"We have to give Ronnie Brown credit. He's a very good back and he created a lot of runs," LB Jonathan Vilma said. "I think he hurt us more in the passing game than anything."

When Eric Barton heard that Brown had gained 99 receiving yards, he asked, "How many yards receiving did he have?"

Yes, that was 99 yards on six receptions, including a 43-yarder to the Jets 12 in the second quarter and a 22-yarder for their last score with 1:15 to play.

"We turned him into an all-star receiver," Vilma said.

Prior to those sentiments, head coach Eric Mangini said in his postgame news conference: "We need to get our screens cleaned up. I don't know how many yards there were, but it seemed like a million."

The good news was in the Jets' third-down work. They allowed Miami to convert on only one of their first seven third downs through three quarters (although one of the third downs set up a Brown fourth-down conversion). Their first sack of the season (and only sack of the game) came on third down when Shaun Ellis bulled his way into the pocket and took down Green.

"I think that gave us a good starting point," said Ellis, who got into a shoving match with Miami CB Travis Daniels as the teams left the field via the end zone tunnel after the game. "We put pressure on them and just continued to play."

Rhodes' interception also was a third-down success and the result of pressure on Green. And it made the $200 he put into the kitty during the week when two teammates forced practiced takeaways worthwhile.

"We didn't want to make it that big of a deal, but we knew it was," Rhodes said. "In this league the turnover ratio is big."

"We weren't really bothered by it," Vilma said of the twin schneids of turnovers and sacks. "We knew it would happen."

What Can Brown Do?

Because of his rushing and receiving success, Ronnie Brown is becoming the new Williis McGahee. Brown's 112 rushing yards on 23 carries give him his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game vs. the Jets, and his 211 yards from scrimmage make him the first Jets opponent to clear 200 YFS since Priest Holmes had 233 in the Chiefs' 29-25 win in the Meadowlands in 2002 (coincidentally Chad Pennington's first Jets start).

But a more uplifting way for Jets fans to look at the 168 yards they were outgained by today is that it is the fifth-largest yardage deficit in a home win in franchise history. Here is the top five:

Specials on the Rebound

Eric Smith put it well about the Jets' special teams in the win: "We played more to our expectations today."

They sprang Leon Washington for a 98-kickoff return touchdown — the Jets' NFL-leading fourth in the last three seasons — and contained dangerous rookie Ted Ginn on three punts and two his three kickoff returns (he did have a 39-yard return). Mike Nugent kicked off well (two touchbacks gives him three in three games after having three in his first 33 pro games), Ben Graham punted well.

And the Jets recovered Jay Feely's onsides kick, after Chris Baker gave them 10 yards and a retry when he batted Feely's first hopper forward out of bounds. "The ball was up there forever, and I got twisted," Baker said. "I probably did knock it a little ahead."

The rekick also had that eternal quality before Smith pounced on it.

"It was like it was on the ground forever," said Smith, who earlier again came within a whisker of the Jets' first blocked punt since 2002. "When Feely went sliding by, he actually pushed me onto the ball a little better. In that situation, you know you've got to get the ball. You have no second chance ... although we had a second chance today."

Wayne's Day

Wayne Chrebet was cheered one more time during halftime ceremonies today. He, his mom and dad, wife and two kids, received applause and gifts in recognition of his productive, inspiring 11 seasons as a Jets wide receiver.

"I can't tell you how great it is to be back on this field again, wearingt this No. 80 jersey one more time," Chrebet, his voice cracking with emotion, told the crowd of 77,179, many of whom were also wearing their No. 80 jerseys.

Then in between the third and fourth quarters, Chrebet told reporters in the Meadowlands pressbox, "Today was a perfect, perfect day."

One young Jets wideout said Wayne's OK in his book.

"I haven't had the opportunity to meet Wayne," said Brad Smith, who had a career-high three catches for 24 yards in the game. "But Laveranues Coles and Justin McCareins have told me how great a player he was. They've got a lot of respect for him and because of that, I do, too."

Chrebet's biggest contribution may have been in keeping the crowd inflated. The fans were fired up by a Chant Challenge featuring random fans leading J-E-T-S cheers on the endzone videoboards, and then the Chad Pennington-led TD drive in the final 1:28 of the first half got them stoked for Chrebet, who then sent them on to a 7:03 drive to a field goal out of the gate in the third quarter. Not bad for an old retired guy from Garfield, N.J.