"Just weeks ago, Kerry Rhodes had little idea he would be in the position he finds himself in today.

Rhodes, demoted from his starting safety role after the Jets' Nov. 22 loss in New England, figured he might be saying "goodbye" at this time of year, perhaps seeing his Jets career come to an unceremonious end.

Instead, Rhodes might be saying "hello" to the kind of career coach Rex Ryan believed he would have in the defense he brought here. Certainly, if the Jets are going to have success against San Diego in today's AFC divisional game and extend their season, Rhodes is going to have to be a big factor covering Chargers prolific tight end Antonio Gates.

Rhodes, since his benching, has done an excellent job covering some of the league's top tight ends, including Tampa Bay's Kellen Winslow and Atlanta's Tony Gonzalez.

Rhodes, who said this week for the first time that he hasn't "seen eye-to-eye" with defensive coordinator Mike Pettine all year, began his turnaround after he was benched, making himself a poster child for a coach pushing the right buttons.

Rhodes, who went the first 10 games this season without forcing a single turnover, picked off two passes in his first game as a backup, the Jets' 17-6 win over the Panthers on Nov. 29. He finished with three interceptions and several other big plays that were missing in those first 10 games."