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Jets Decide Against Color-Coded Wristbands For Struggling Smith

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Well, so much for that idea.

The Jets said Wednesday they were considering reaching into their bag of tricks to try the old color-coded wristband approach with rookie quarterback Geno Smith, much like they did with Mark Sanchez during his first season.

However, a few hours later Rex Ryan told a radio station he decided against the idea.

Back in 2009, Sanchez wore a green-red-yellow wristband with specific plays in each color category, as a way to make a complex offense easier to process. Designated red plays indicate a need to be conservative, yellow means be cautious and green indicates the quarterback can be aggressive.

Smith, who has turned the ball over 11 times already this season, could probably use some kind of clarification, considering the Jets (2-2) are coming off a brutal 38-13 loss in which he threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles.

Adding to Smith's learning curve is the fact that his receivers will be different when the Jets take on the Falcons (1-3) in Atlanta on Monday night. Santonio Holmes is out with a hamstring injury and Stephen Hill is still going through concussion protocol. The Jets signed veteran wide receiver David Nelson on Wednesday.

Smith will also have a new left guard on Monday now that Vladimir Ducasse has been benched in favor of rookie third-round pick Brian Winters.

"It's a young season -- we're at the quarter stage -- but we clearly have some things we have to fix," Ryan said. "Protecting the football is the No. 1 thing, along with penalties."

The Jets committed 20 penalties in a win over Buffalo two weeks ago, and were flagged 10 more times in the loss to Tennessee.

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(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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