The big defender in the middle of the Jets’ defensive line participated in 11-on-11 drills at practice this morning. Jenkins, who is entering his third season with the Jets, missed the last 10 games and all of last year’s playoffs with a torn ACL.

He had been limited to individual work during Organized Team Activities, but planned on returning all along at the team’s minicamp, according the Daily News’ Manish Mehta. Jenkins is currently working to get his weight down, partly to get into shape for the season, but mostly, as we all know, as part of his weight loss challenge with right tackle Damien Woody and coach Rex Ryan.

“Right now, I’m in second,” Ryan said at his press conference today, according to TheJetsBlog.com. “Actually, I was letting them get out there a little bit. It’s hard. I’ve been reeling them in a little bit.  Slowly, but surely.”

As for Jenkins’ performance on the field, TheJetsBlog reported Ryan said, “He’s pushing himself hard. This is the lowest his weight’s been for a while now. We’re just breaking him in slowly…Kris can only go out there and play like he always has. He’s going to be in shape and ready to roll…He’s just a big man.  You can only play this game one way and that’s full speed.  You can’t go out there trying to protect this or trying to protect that.”

The Jets did give up the fewest points and yards per game of any team in the league last year, but even with the top-rated defense, they did allow 98.6 rushing yards per game, placing them eighth in the NFL. A healthy, slimmer Jenkins should certainly help improve that this season.

One Jet who didn’t participate in today’s 11-on-11 drills was quarterback Mark Sanchez. He’s working his way back from offseason knee surgery, and is expected to be ready for the season opener. Sanchez sitting out the drills was by design, according to a team spokesman, ESPN New York’s Jane McManus wrote.

It seems, according to Ryan, Sanchez is working hard to come back from surgery even better in his second season with the Jets.

“He was here all weekend,” Ryan said after today’s practice, once again courtesy of TheJetsBlog. “It’s funny because he’s involved in other things because he’s not just a rookie quarterback anymore. I think he’s past that, yet he’s working harder than anyone on this football team.  [He’s] studying in the classroom and doing everything right. That’s what I’m excited about. He doesn’t need to prove anything to me, just get out there and play.”

Not only is Sanchez earning the praise of his coach, but he’s continuing to become Mr. New York (sort of, I guess). Last night, he presented at the Tony Awards. Sanchez presented a song from the musical “Memphis,” a show he’s seen three times. Since coming to New York, Sanchez has gone to a number of shows and gone backstage a bunch of times to meet the casts, according to McManus, which should make him even more popular with the wide cross section of fans of the Jets and Broadway (not Joe).

But the real good thing about that is New York needs an athlete to be seen around town. Derek Jeter is getting up there in age, LeBron James isn’t on the Knicks so they’re irrelevant to most and Eli Manning is too wholesome. So way to go, Mark Sanchez. Get out there and be seen. Become the current Mr. New York.

Take that, David Wright.

The emotional side of Rex Ryan came out Monday at the Jets’ morning meeting. Ryan gave a speech to his players and ended up crying. After a 3-0 start, the Jets have dropped five of six and are currently 4-5 with slim playoff hopes. Ryan is an emotional guy and cried after the Jets beat Houston in week one, his head coaching debut. He also traded barbs with Channing Crowder of the Dolphins and has been very vocal with the fans and media. The Jets have been very disappointing in their last six games and their 3-0 start is a distant memory.

“He didn’t bash us at all. He was just very emotional. He was crying,” Damien Woody told The New York Post. “Rex believes in our team so much I can’t even put it into words and it would be a shame if we didn’t capitalize on our opportunity.”

The Jets have played several “Super Bowls” this season and this week will be another as they travel to Foxborough to face the first place Patriots. A Jets’ win narrows the Patriot’s division lead to just one game.

“I was a little upset to see him that way,” Darrelle Revis told The New York Post. “I’m upset for the same reasons he’s upset.”

The Jets are playing the Patriots at the worst time. The Pats and head coach Bill Belichick were embarrassed last week against the undefeated Colts when they decided to go for it on fourth-and-two on their own 28 yard line with around two minutes left and didn’t convert. Knowing Belichick, he’s going to want to beat the Jets by 50 to feel better about his gaffe. 

Nine games into the season and we’ve seen several difference sides of first year head coach Rex Ryan. The Jets will need to give their best effort to contend with the Patriots in week 11.

It’s just the preseason.  It’s the time where players and teams get a chance to work the kinks out before the games matter.  The Jets are 0-2 in their first preseason games but nobody cares about preseason records.  The Lions were 4-0 in the preseason last year and went 0-16 in the regular season.  We look at individual efforts in the preseason.  How is the team meshing?  How well are the getting accustomed to the pace of a game rather than practice? 

There has been some Jet quarterback bashing by some members of the media that I do not agree with.  Some media members are already questioning the defense.  My answer to these people is to give it time.  Sanchez and Clemens don’t even have a full game of stats combined.  Rex will make the decision on a starting quarterback when he is comfortable and the Jets’ defense is going to be fine.  Rex isn’t going to give out all of his defensive plans in the preseason is he? No, he is going to hold off on some of the plays and schemes for when it counts. 

So let’s all take it easy and be positive like the Jets players.  Here are some recent tweets from Jets players reguarding the team and how things are going. 

damienwoody:  i really like our team! we’re going 2 be better than what people give us credit for

chansistuckey: Tough loss but love the way we competed. Gonna be an exciting season

kerryrhodes: once we have all our pieces in tact we r gonna b super tough! not just jenks and revis but also strickland at the nickel and we didnt really give flacco alot of different looks lol dont b 2 amazed! i like wat we did in that game at end of day!