Television cameras caught Jets’ strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi purposely tripping Dolphins’ gunner Nolan Carroll along the sidelines during a punt in New York’s 10-6 loss on Sunday.

And depending on whom you ask, the cameras also caught how Alosi and several members of the Jets had intentionally lined up to interfere with Carroll before Alosi stuck his knee out.

One person who thought the act was staged is former Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas, who told a Miami radio station on Tuesday that there’s evidence to suggest the Alosi didn’t act alone (that there was, in fact, a second kneeman).

From ESPN.com:

“They had to be ordered to stand there because they’re foot to foot,” Thomas said Tuesday on Miami radio station WQAM. “There’s four of them, side to side — five of them, I mean — on the edge of the coach’s zone. They’re only out there to restrict the space of the gunner.

“But there’s more to it because I’m telling you, the only thing [Alosi] did wrong was intentionally put that knee out there. If he just stood there, there would never have been a problem, even if the guy got tripped. But there’s more to this. He was ordered to stand there. No one is foot to foot on the sideline in the coach’s box.”

Actually, it was a six-man line, starting with Alosi and defensive lineman Marcus Dixon (inactive). It’s believed the other four also were inactive players. They were in a tight formation, almost like soccer players preparing to defend a direct kick. Their toes were right up against the boundary, with Alosi positioned in the corner of the coaches’ box.

Coincidence? When Carroll approached at full speed, not one of them flinched, suggesting it was a show of force that appeared to be orchestrated. Alosi and Jets officials denied that, claiming they don’t coach that tactic — an unsavory technique that is semi-prevalent around the league.

A close examination of the TV replay shows that Dixon was leaning in with his left shoulder, perhaps preparing for contact as well.
“Something is fishy,” said an opposing personnel executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The executive said the Jets have shown a penchant in recent weeks for using sideline personnel as a deterrent to gunners — players sprinting the sideline in an attempt to get to the returner quickly — adding that the Jets’ sideline is conspicuously clear when their team is doing the punting.

I’m sure the Jets aren’t the only ones to have ever employed this technique because after all, they had to have gotten it from somewhere. But how dirty can you get? And not only that, but how stupid?

What would have happened had Carroll blown out his knee and was unable to play again? Was it worth it to Alosi and his band of clowns to possibly end a player’s career just so they could cheat on a punt return? I get that the Jets can’t win on their own right now, but this is low – especially if the act was premeditated.

I wonder when it’ll come out that Rex Ryan or someone on the Jets’ coaching staff told Alosi and the rest of the inactive players to set up a wall. Alosi is obviously an idiot for thinking he could do something like that and not have one of the 600 cameras in the stadium catch him, but I doubt he acted alone. Someone on that coaching staff must have told him what to do.

For once, it would be nice if a member of the AFC East not tried to video tape their opponent’s practice or trip a player as he’s running down field to cover a punt.

I wrote about this incident in my six-pack of observations on the Dolphins-Jets game but as soon as I found the video I wanted to post it.

This has to be one of the most unprofessional and classless moves I’ve seen in the NFL. This moron is the head strength and conditioning coach for a professional football team and he decides to sideswipe an unsuspecting player, who gets hurt in the process. So in essence, he helps the players avoid injuries throughout the week and then injuries an opposing player come Sundays. Well done, jackass.

Since the incident, Sal Alosi has issued an apology (from ESPN.com):

“I made a mistake that showed a total lapse in judgment,” Alosi said in a statement. “My conduct was inexcusable and unsportsmanlike and does not reflect what this organization stands for. I spoke to Coach [Tony] Sparano and Nolan Carroll to apologize before they took off. I have also apologized to Woody [Johnson], Mike [Tannenbaum] and Rex [Ryan]. I accept responsibility for my actions as well as any punishment that follows.”

Thanks to Mark Sanchez and the rest of the Jets’ offense being just as embarrassing as Alosi’s decision-making, the Dolphins got the last laugh in the end. With their 10-6 win, they handed the Jets their second-straight loss and are now back above .500. It’s a long-shot, but Miami could still make the playoffs if they win out. They host the Lions and Bills over the next two weeks before going on the road to play the Patriots in Week 17. If New England has the top spot in the NFC wrapped up by then, they may rest starters and Miami could get a cheap win (just as the Jets did last year when they beat the Bengals’ backups in Week 17).

It’s not unrealistic to think the Dolphins couldn’t finish 10-6 and make the playoffs.

Here are a six-pack of observations on whatever the Dolphins and Jets are calling that thing they did at the New Meadowlands on Sunday. I hesitate to call it a game.

1. Mark Sanchez is awful again.
Leave it to Mark Sanchez to prove doubters wrong for most of the season, only to revert back to his 2009 form for the stretch run. He completed just 17-of-44 passes for 216 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in an ugly 10-6 loss. This of course follows his 17-of-33 performance on Monday night against the Patriots. His 38.6 QB rating against the Dolphins was a season-worst and coach Rex Ryan even revealed in his postgame press conference that he nearly benched the second-year quarterback. Sanchez hasn’t completed 60 percent of his passes in over a month and also has five turnovers compared to no touchdowns in his last two games. He has shown zero confidence the past two games and he’s back to diving in and out of the pocket as soon as he senses pressure. In his defense, Santonio Holmes did drop a touchdown pass (with no defenders around him) early in the game, although that’s still no excuse for Sanchez to play as poorly as he did. The problem for Ryan is that Mark Brunell and Kellen Clemens aren’t any better, so the Jets will have to ride the Sanchez train out and hope he can find whatever magic he had earlier in the season.

2. Jets’ strength coach Sal Alosi should be ashamed of himself.
In what can only be described as a classless move, TV replays showed Jets’ head strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi stick his knee out to intentionally trip Dolphins’ gunner Nolan Carroll as he was streaking down the field to cover a punt in the third quarter. Caroll fell to the turf with an apparent knee injury and Miami trainers tended to him after he limped off the field under his own power. Alosi was fortunate that Carroll wasn’t seriously hurt. He could have ended the rookie’s season and for what? To be a jackass on the sidelines? What good could have possibly come out of purposely tripping an opponent? The Jets should review the situation and take immediate action. And if they don’t fire the moron, he at least should issue an apology to Carroll and the entire Dolphins team. What a stupid, stupid decision and how embarrassing for the Alosi and the Jets. This is the last thing Ryan needs to deal with after two straight losses.

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