12/31 — Happy New Year.

That sentiment was issued a few times at Weeb Ewbank Hall today, both as a holiday greeting and coincidentally as a wish for better times for the Jets on this interface day between the disappointing 2007 season just ended and the hopes for the 2008 that is just ahead.

The ritual for "baggie day" the day after an NFL season ends is for all players to take trash bags to lockers, sack up clothing, footwear and other accoutrements, and then pause to chat with the numerous media types holding still and TV cameras, recorders and notebooks.

The reporters dispersed and reformed like a flock of birds, first around Laveranues Coles, then Leon Washington, then Kellen Clemens. One of the Jets' rising stars strolled through with a framed picture as if to leave without talking. "Anybody want Kerry Rhodes?" senior manager of media relations Jared Winley said loudly.

Yes, of course they did. "Almost made it out," said Rhodes before holding court.

The crowd then waited at the scheduled end to the locker room session at 1 p.m. around Chad Pennington's locker, the one on the corner leading toward the shower and the trainer's room. One Chad sighting brought lenses up, microphones poised, but it was a false alarm.

A few minutes later, from the side entrance to the showers, Pennington, wearing flannel shirt and jeans and his smile, came out when the crowd wasn't ready. "Hah! Tricked you," he said, before he waded toward his locker and again addressed questions about his future.

Eric Allen will have a story on Pennington on newyorkjets.com later this afternoon and John Beattie (we're whipping him home before he heads permanently to Boston) will report on Coles' remarks early New Year's Day. Meanwhile, there's nothing I or anyone else can say to Jets fans to take away the sting.

But head coach Eric Mangini held his season-ending news conference a short while ago, right after Pennington concluded his session, and hit some important notes for both the recent past and the near future.

"I told the players when we met today really the same thing I told them last year," Mangini said. "Last year at this point, I shared with them the fact that we don't get to start at 10‑6; you don't get to start in the first round of the playoffs; and that each year is its own unique year. That was the message again today is that you don't start at 4‑12. That season's in the books. What it's going to take now or what it’s going to depend on is how well we work together, how much progress we are able to make as a team.

"I thanked them for their effort. I thought they handled a very difficult season with a lot of character and a lot of class. And sometimes you get in situations like this where there's finger‑pointing and the work isn't as consistent as it should be, but I never felt that way with this group of guys. I thought they continued to work, and even all through last week and into the game on Sunday they did as well.

Mangini said this week the evaluations begin — of the roster, the system and the organization and the things that can be improved in all those areas.

He included himself in the improvement.

"It's ultimately my responsibility to make sure that when we are faced with these tough games again, that when we are faced with these handful of plays, that we come out on top," the coach said. "And that's what I'm going to work on, extremely hard and smart, to make sure that we make progress. And Mike [Tannenbaum] and I will work together to evaluate every element of the organization and make sure we can make as many strides as we can here leading into next season."

Final Housekeeping

Mangini knows there will be changes ahead — he's already got two holes to fill on his coaching staff. One we all know about with special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff's leave to undergo complex surgery on his left leg that will cost him at least the 2008 season.

The other is secondary coach Mike MacIntyre, who after one season on the Jets staff has accepted the defensive coordinator's position with Duke and will be leaving for the Blue Devils after finishing up his Green & White duties the rest of this week.

Mangini also announced his players of the game for the 13-10 OT win over Kansas City: offense — RB Thomas Jones and WR Jerricho Cotchery; defense — CB Hank Poteat for his work against Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez; special teams — Mike Nugent for hitting the third game-winning field goal of his career — twice; and practice players of the week — DL C.J. Mosley and LB Jerry Mackey.

Neon Leon is Two Grand

Over the coming days, weeks and even months, we'll be passing on information about the Jets as we come across it, facts and trivia that may entertain, infuriate and hopefully inform. It's all a part of our yearly commitment to covering the Jets for you.

Today one very interesting chart shows just why Leon Washington was voted team MVP. With his 115 all-purpose yards against the Chiefs — and not counting the 36 yards on his pass completion to Wallace Wright — Washington completed the fourth season of 2,000 all-purpose yards in franchise history. Here are the foursome:

A final note on Washington: That completion to Wright appears to be the longest by a non-QB in franchise history.