Jets offensive lineman Adrian Jones apologized to the team and his family Tuesday, three days after being charged with driving while intoxicated. Jones, 25, was fined $20,000 by the team and will be monitored by the NFL as a result of being a first-time offender of the league's substance abuse policy.

Laveranues Coles was frustrated by the questions, one after another, about the Jets' struggling offense. "Who said there's a problem?" the wide receiver said in front of his locker Wednesday. "If you ask me, we're doing fine. What has changed?" Well, for one, the passing game that produced 625 yards and four touchdowns in the first two games has been stifled in recent weeks. Chad Pennington has four touchdowns in the last five games, along with six interceptions. One of those was a mistake caught by Brian Urlacher against Chicago last Sunday that short-circuited the Jets' best scoring chance, while Coles was wide open on the other side of the field. And Coles made that known after the play, racing up to the quarterback on the field and telling him, "Man, I was open!" while waving his hands.

When asked about the possibility of making Patrick Ramsey or Kellen Clemens the starter instead of Chad Pennington, Eric Mangini said: ?Chad is the quarterback right now. There?s a lot of things Chad does that I appreciate as a coach, I really respect. I think he does a nice job.?

Chad Pennington confirmed on Thursday that he's close to recouping the entire $6 million pay cut he took during the off-season. He agreed to the pay reduction with the chance to earn the money back in playing-time incentives. Pennington, who underwent his second rotator cuff surgery in two seasons last October, must play 60 percent of the snaps, approximately two more games, to get all of his money. "It always feels good when hard work pays off, no doubt about it," Pennington told The Star-Ledger yesterday. "So now my focus has shifted from proving it to sustaining it and being consistent throughout the rest of the season."

Curtis Martin's season ended Wednesday because of a lingering knee injury, and the Jets' star running back isn't sure if he'll ever play again. "I'm officially not playing this year," Martin said. "Retirement -- that may be the inevitable result. I just haven't gotten there yet."

The Jets insisted Curtis Martin has not yet decided to end his season, despite a published report Tuesday that the NFL's No. 4 career rusher has told members of the team he won't return this year. "There has been no decision," coach Eric Mangini said when addressing the story in The Star-Ledger.