Article

Chrebet wants bigger role in Jets’ offense, but keeps it to himself

“I only missed a week, but when you’re not used to it, it feels like forever.” Wayne Chrebet #80 Wide Receiver, NY Jets
Ken Berger - Newsday

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Wayne Chrebet was in his house watching the Jets game with friends last week, farther away from the field than he ever imagined he would be on a Sunday afternoon. Aside from being disturbed by missing the game, Chrebet was taken aback by the psychic abilities of his game-day guests.

Just like the Carolina Panthers and the fans at Ericsson Stadium, Chrebet’s friends knew what play the Jets were running on third down: a run by Curtis Martin.

“When everybody was calling the plays, I was like, `Wow, that’s pretty scary,’ “ Chrebet said Thursday. “They weren’t just calling that it was a run. They were calling, ‘Draw right, draw left.’ These are guys that go to every game.”

Aside from last week, Chrebet has been going to every game, too - and he doesn’t have many more catches than his friends. He has 15 catches in the six games he’s played, including five third-down receptions. That’s an astonishing dropoff from his league-high total of 29 in 1997, when Chrebet established himself as the NFL’s “Mr. Third Down.”

He is not one to complain, but if you read between the lines, it is easy to see that Chrebet is less than enthused with his role in the Jets’ offense.

“You want to make plays, especially knowing that you made plays in the past,” Chrebet said. “But when you’re winning games, you don’t want to rock the boat. Maybe this week will be the week.”

Chrebet returns Sunday night at New Orleans after missing a game with post-concussion symptoms. In practice, he has the look and excitement of a high school kid going out for the team. The effects of a concussion three weeks ago against Miami - and a recurrence of headaches after a game against the Rams - have subsided.

“I only missed a week, but when you’re not used to it, it feels like forever,” Chrebet said. “That’s why I was running around like a kid.’

Chrebet has marveled at Martin’s league-leading rushing performance to this point, saying, “If I’m the offensive coordinator, I’m going to try to get it to Curtis as much as possible.”

Coach Herman Edwards agrees, and his patience is wearing thin with criticism of the perceived disproportionate load being carried by Martin. Edwards will like this stat: Martin has carried only two more times than he did last year through seven games (153-151). Given that, Chrebet’s reduced role is even more startling.

“This is my fifth offensive coordinator,” Chrebet said. “Every year with a new coaching staff, it’s tough. When they come in, they want to see what kind of guys they want to have. Usually the year after the first year, you see them kind of bring their own kind of guys in.”

Chrebet said he’s being asked to block more this year but doesn’t know how much his ratio of blocking plays to receiving plays has changed.

“It’s obviously different,” Chrebet said. “Anybody could tell you that.”

But Chrebet is never going to air his frustrations publicly. His closest friend on the team, Vinny Testaverde, said Chrebet hasn’t even done so privately.

“He hasn’t said anything to me,” Testaverde said. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about, guys that are team players that might not be happy, but he hasn’t said anything because he’s a team guy. Does he want more balls thrown to him? I’m sure he does. But we’re winning, and he doesn’t care.”

This could be - and should be- the week Chrebet and the rest of the Jets’ passing offense make more noise. With a stout defensive line of Darren Howard, Norman Hand, La’Roi Glover and Joe Johnson, the Saints are sixth in the league in rushing defense.

“People are saying, have I been frustrated and why haven’t I said anything?” Chrebet said. “One, I’m not the kind of person to say anything, anyway. And two, I know my time will come. Eventually these teams are going to have to do something to try and stop . But if they throw that many men in the box, we’re going to have to pass the ball. Just wait. I think we’re going to succeed if we start throwing the ball more.”