Jets' Edwards not willing to let team give up yet

New York (3-11) takes on New England tonight.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- When this disaster of a season ends, after the players empty their lockers and file out of the team headquarters, perhaps Herman Edwards will find a private place to scream or seethe or maybe even shed a tear.
For now, the Jets coach will not allow it. Not with the Patriots (9-5) coming to town tonight, not with the regular-season finale against Buffalo providing two more opportunities to win a game.
That is, after all, the goal -- despite the injuries and setbacks and dashed expectations.
"It's not like this is your life. This ain't my life. This is a season," Edwards said. "How you survive it and how you come out of it tells you what you're made of."
Keeping heads up
Edwards has made sure the Jets (3-11) keep their heads up and keep playing hard. To their credit, the Jets have not given up even though everything appears bleak.
"The natural response of a person once they fall behind is to quit," receiver Laveranues Coles said. "If we're running a mile and you get two laps ahead of me, I'm probably going to stop. Not him.
"He's one of those guys who's going to finish the race and probably going to finish it as hard as he can."
Edwards always has been positive, no matter the situation. And the situation in 2005 has been tough.
First Chad Pennington re-injured his surgically repaired right shoulder and was lost for the season in September. Seven plays later, backup Jay Fiedler also went out for the year with a shoulder injury.
Injury avalanche
An avalanche followed: center Kevin Mawae, tackle Jason Fabini, receiver Wayne Chrebet, running back Curtis Martin and linebacker Eric Barton are among 12 players on season-ending injured reserve.
As Edwards says, he has a "Pro Bowl team" on IR. But he does not want to use injuries as an excuse. Some teams overcome them, like the Patriots, who have eight players on IR, including standout safety Rodney Harrison.
Key players Richard Seymour and Corey Dillon also have missed time with injuries, but the constant has been Tom Brady, who has started every game.
Yet even when it appears the defending Super Bowl champions are down, the Jets are unable to overtake them because they are having such a terrible season.
"I saw Coach Herm in the team hotel a few weeks ago. I said, 'How you doing?' He said, 'Doing the best we can,' " Chrebet said. "Guys are fighting. It's got to be a helpless feeling coaching. I don't know if I could do it."
Still active in community
Edwards has not retreated because of the record. He is still active in the community, as is his wife, Lia, who said fans remain supportive.
A few weeks ago, she and other team wives were at a mall ringing bells for the Salvation Army when a woman in her 70s approached and said: "Maybe we'll get that Reggie Bush."
Lia laughed, thinking: "How much does this woman know about Reggie Bush?" The Jets played themselves out of the sweepstakes for the Heisman Trophy winning running back out of Southern California, who is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the draft if he leaves school early.
Still, Edwards must concentrate on the last two games before thinking about the future.
"It takes every ounce of energy that he has to maintain that," Lia said by telephone. "It's not an act, he's very positive and genuine about it. I see him come home more exhausted but more positive. He's probably had to dig deep to pull out all of the coaching tricks that he has to stay focused and stay positive."
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