Jets must get Plaxico Burress more involved

It's pretty difficult for someone who hovers at 6-5 and has a wingspan the size of a giraffe's neck to seem invisible.

But Plaxico Burress has been just that, unable to make his presence felt consistently in the Jets' passing attack through their first six games. There are stretches when it's easy to forget the wide receiver is even on the field, simply because he's often not targeted for the first time until the second quarter or later.

Burress' connection with Mark Sanchez just isn't there at the moment.

"First play of the game, I thought we had a chance to get the ball to him, and went a different way," Rex Ryan said Tuesday. "Then, it's . . . I just don't know. It's just a little off.

"I'm not down on Plax whatsoever," the coach added. "There is going to be a time where he'll have 10 catches. I truly believe that's coming. It takes a while to get a feel for a guy. The chemistry is there. It's a matter of just fine-tuning it a little more, and I think we'll be just fine."

Burress, who has only 14 receptions for 218 yards and two touchdowns, didn't have the ball thrown his way Monday night until there were 5:17 left in the third quarter. He was targeted four times and had one reception for 14 yards along with a pair of drops.

"I've tried to keep getting the ball to him," Sanchez said Tuesday on his weekly 1050 ESPN Radio spot.

"We're working through some stuff that is tough for a quarterback and wide receiver that are new together. He's got a good attitude about it, which has been nice. But I'm sure it's hard for him at times because he wants to come back and have the kind of games that he had for the Giants and the Steelers, where he had 10, 12, 13 catches a game.

"But he's doing just fine and we're coming along. We'll get better as the season goes on."

Perhaps the inability to get Burress consistently involved factors into the Jets' early-game struggles. They typically begin with the intensity and speed of a slug, having been outscored 43-30 during the first quarter. They usually allow a big play or two right off the bat, such as Reggie Bush's 36-yard run on Miami's first play from scrimmage in the Jets' 24-6 win Monday.

The slow starts have Ryan baffled and looking for solutions.

"I was going to tell our guys it's the second quarter," Ryan said. "Maybe if it's a home game, put it on the board as a '2.' I think if we do that, we'll be just fine.

"It's crazy because when you look at the struggles we've had, especially offensively, it kind of blows me away because it's the same plays, it's the same everything else.

"Believe me, we've searched for answers and I'm at a loss for it. It seems strange, but once we get past that stage and we start having a little success, then 'Boom!' We start moving the ball effectively."

Ryan joked that the Jets (3-3) may need to change their pregame fuel.

"Drink coffee?'' he said. "I don't know, man. We've got to find something."

They had better with the Chargers visiting Sunday, which will be the Jets' final game before their bye. San Diego (4-1) averages 416.2 yards of offense, ranking sixth, and leads the league with an average time of possession of 35:17.

"We have to win this one,'' Ryan said. "We are underdogs at our own stadium, which seems really odd to me. But they are an excellent team. They've got a ton of weapons, especially on offense. So, this is a critical game for us and we are approaching it that way.

"If we play to the best of our abilities, I think we will come out on top."