These sound like fun times inside the New York Jets' locker room. Given all the Super Bowl talk entering the season, this storyline now has all the makings of a Hollywood script.
After a report surfaced that wide receivers Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason had individually met with coach Rex Ryan to voice their displeasure with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's system, the Jets went so far as to issue a statement to say it wasn't true.
If the Jets are about to implode or boil over, the team is doing its best to keep the water at a simmer.
But Mason didn't seem to get the memo on criticizing the offense after last week's loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and it wound up costing him. According to ESPN New York, Mason was benched by Jets coach Rex Ryan for the first half of Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots and played only a handful of plays because of his mouth.
Ryan, however, told reporters after the game that he wanted to give rookie Jeremy Kerley "a few more shots" as the No. 3 receiver.
According to the ESPN report, Mason dodged questions about his benching, saying, "You've got to ask Coach about that."
Ryan flat-out denied the players had come to him, saying "That's 'Ripley's' to me. If it is, then maybe I got hit in the head or something. I don't remember that."
That's right, Jets fans. Believe it or not.
