New York Jets Get Back to Ground-and-Pound, Reporters Break Down QBs at Camp

It's back to football for the NFL, but it's back to the ground-and-pound for the New York Jets.

We knew offensive coordinator Tony Sparano was going to mean big things for the running game, but even head coach Rex Ryan was taken aback by the emphasis on the running game early on in practice. The Jets ran the ball 22 times straight to start their first padded session of training camp.

"Just the fact that, 'Hey, this is who we are,' we’re going to run it and run it and find a way to get it done running the football," Ryan said, according to the Newark Star-Ledger. "Once we do, we establish that run, or the mentality of, 'Hey, here they come again,' that’s only going to help our passing game."

Which running backs are performing well? Brian Costello of the New York Post says Bilal Powell "stood out," but cautions that the Jets could be thin at running back:

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Behind Shonn Greene, the Jets have little experience. But second-year back Bilal Powell really stood out Sunday. He looked quick and hit the holes hard. It has been assumed that Joe McKnight would fill the third-down running back role with LaDainian Tomlinson gone, but maybe Powell can move up the depth chart.

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Powell was primarily a defensive back, but he played sparingly on offense throughout his career at Louisville. That changed in his senior year, when he switched full-time to the offensive side of the ball. The Jets drafted him to be a running back, but as of yet, he doesn't have a lot of experience there. 

He played some at running back last year, but didn't get much practice there due to the lockout. Extra reps there in practice could be the key to his success in 2012.

Rex Ryan expressed disappointment with second-year wide receiver Jeremy Kerley's progress this offseason.

"Jeremy needs to step it up, because quite honestly, I was a little disappointed with Jeremy in the offseason," Ryan said, per the Star-Ledger. "He's got to pick up this system, this new system. He's got to put the time into it."

The Jets may have to stick with the running game if their wide receivers don't step up. Jenny Vrentas of the Star-Ledger explains that they're counting on a lot of unknowns at wide receiver:

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The big picture is this: The Jets are counting on a very young, largely inexperienced receiving corps this season. Behind No. 1 receiver Santonio Holmes, and fifth-year pro Chaz Schilens, the nine other receivers on the roster combine for a total of 37 games of NFL experience, two starts and just 39 catches.

Ryan’s tough words for Kerley, as well as his announcement the Jets could use cornerback Antonio Cromartie at the receiver spot on occasion, beg the question: Do the Jets have enough firepower at receiver, albeit in a ground-and-pound offense?

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Oh, yeah, there's that too: Cromartie at receiver? Is this an exercise in ingenuity or desperation?

It's interesting that Mel Kiper, Jr. said this years ago, and now, six years later, the Jets are the first to give it a shot:

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If he's an average corner, if he doesn't develop and maximize that ability at corner, the fallback is he could be a wide receiver. He came there playing that position out of high school...his ball skills, the hands he showed in the workout were wide receiver-like. That's why people think, 'Hey, if he doesn't develop at corner, move him to the offensive side of the ball.

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Sure, he's developed at corner, but his experience at wide receiver at high school could bode well for the Jets if they choose to give him a shot there when the bullets are real.

And, oh yeah, we missed Tim Tebow running around without a shirt. Too bad.

Beyond the shirtless stuff, both quarterbacks had their good days and bad days at camp. It just so happened both were good and bad on basically the same days.

It can be a painstaking process to track every pass in training camp. But thankfully, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News has done that for us:

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Jets are off tomorrow. Thru first 4 practices, Mark Sanchez has completed 59.4% of his passes in 11-on-11s. Tim Tebow has completed 46.2%.

— Manish Mehta(@MMehtaNYDN) July 30, 2012"

More on the non-quarterback-competition competition as the non-competition develops.

Erik Frenz is the AFC East lead blogger for Bleacher Report. Be sure to follow Erik on Twitter and "like" the AFC East blog on Facebook to keep up with all the updates.