Scott can't wait to play like that again

Bart Scott wasn't in a reflective mode, weary of extending his arms to pat himself on the back.

The inside linebacker had arguably his best game in his two-plus seasons with the Jets on Sunday, scrambling all over the field to make plays in their season-opening win against the Cowboys. Scott led the team with eight combined tackles, registered a sack and almost had another -- though Tony Romo slipped through his grasp -- but wasn't about to declare it was one of his top performances.

"I don't know, man," said Scott, who was flying to the ball. "I leave that up to [the media]. I've got a lot to improve on. I can play better, I know I can. It's just about making sure I stack these games up together."

Jim Leonhard, who's familiar with Scott since they were teammates in Baltimore, believes the 10-year veteran turned in one of his most impressive efforts since coming on board with the Jets in 2009.

"I think so," the safety said. "He was very physical."

Scott, known more for his chatty nature and his "Can't Wait" rant following the Jets' playoff win over the Patriots in January, has taken his share of criticism over the past two seasons. Some think he's overpaid and hasn't lived up to the lofty expectations placed upon him after inking that six-year, $48-million contract with $22 million guaranteed, when he was the first free agent Rex Ryan targeted.

Scott, who had his pact reworked before training camp, even hears it from friends and family, at times getting peppered with inquiries on why he's not constantly making the same kind of impact plays he did with the Ravens, when he was beside Ray Lewis. It has reached a point where Scott no longer tries to explain it, figuring it's not going to do much good anyway.

But this season, Scott has plans on returning to his old form and wants his play to do the talking, something that could come to fruition for one reason in particular.

He's being given more freedom within the Jets' defensive scheme.

"They are going to let me do what I do," Scott said. "First couple of years, I wasn't doing what I did in previous years when I was in another place. But slowly but surely, they are letting me go back and do what I do."

As Ryan told Newsday: "Things are a little different. We are using him a little different than we have in the past."

That's partly due to the Jets' linebacking corps remaining mostly intact, and everyone having more grasp of Ryan's philosophy. Save for the one-year Jason Taylor experiment last season, the Jets haven't shuffled the decks at linebacker, meaning the coaches are more completely in tune with what the strengths and weaknesses of each are.

"Sometimes just schematically or just playing with different people, you are in kind of different roles," Leonhard said. "Now it's in year three, and having that continuity with that linebacker group, I think they are going to be allowed to do a little bit more stuff."

Ryan is hopeful that will lead to more bone-jarring plays from Scott.

"He's an impact guy," Ryan said. "When he hits you, there's an impact. Does he always do everything right? Nah, but he works to each week. He'll sometimes be like, 'Rex, they're running this and this.'

"Bart can be right, but sometimes it's like, 'Bart, I don't need to hear that right now.' But I love him. I know he's going to be right there with you, and if you need a guy in the fox hole, that's a guy you are going to choose."

Scott's just glad the Jets are choosing to let him do his thing more in 2011.

"If they are going to turn me loose this year," he said, "I've got to make sure that I continue to make those plays and continue to get the opportunities."

STORYLINES

More ground and pound

The Jets' run-pass ratio was highly skewed in Sunday's win, and questions have arose on whether they are changing their philosophy and becoming more pass-heavy. Ryan shot that down Monday, explaining they had to adjust since they weren't getting much out of the ground attack. The Jets ran 16 times for 45 yards and QB Mark Sanchez aired it out on 44 occasions. "They had a great read on our running game," Shonn Greene said, "a lot of blitzes and stunts and stuff. So running the ball was kind of tough."

Stopping MJD

Even though recently released QB David Garrard is no longer behind center and Luke McCown has taken over, the Jets will be leery to see Maurice Jones-Drew in the backfield. The bowling ball running back had 123 yards and a touchdown in their Nov. 15, 2009 meeting, but will probably be remembered most for taking a knee at the 1-yard line rather than running it in for a 10-yard score, which is what the Jets wanted him to do since they were nursing a one-point lead with just under two minutes remaining. MJD's heady play set up Josh Scobee's 21-yard field goal as time expired in the Jets' 24-22 loss.

Welcoming old friends

When the Jets meet the Jaguars, they'll see two familiar faces in Jacksonville's secondary -- safety Dwight Lowery and cornerback Drew Coleman. Both left their impression on the Jaguars' season-opening win over the Titans. Lowery, acquired in a Sept. 3 trade for a conditional pick, intercepted Tennessee QB Matt Hasselbeck to seal the win. Coleman, playing nickel back, registered five tackles and a sack.

STATLINES

Tone time

WR Santonio Holmes didn't reel in the game-winning TD in Sunday's win over the Cowboys, but he's already tied for the most game-clinching TDs since 1983.

Player, TD,  Years in league

Santonio Holmes, 5, 5 (had two in 2010)
Carl Pickens, 5, 9
Terrell Owens, 4, 15
Roy Green, 4, 14