Coaches clear the air

ERIC MANGINI Not target of criticism

Jets coach Eric Mangini cleared the air with Baltimore's Brian Billick after the Ravens coach accused New York of using an "illegal" ploy to draw his team offside during Sunday's game.

"I talked to Brian [Tuesday] and we had a good conversation," Mangini said yesterday. "It was important for me to talk to him and make sure we didn't have a misunderstanding. We don't coach things to cause penalties. We don't believe in getting penalties, and it's something that we work to minimize at all times."

Billick said Monday that the Jets' defense "did a very, very effective job of illegally simulating the snap count" to intentionally throw off the Baltimore offense during the Ravens' 20-13 win. He claimed the tactic led to three illegal procedure penalties against the Ravens, but said his criticism was leveled at the officials, not the Jets.

"I was being critical of the officiating," Billick said. "It had nothing to do with Eric Mangini. I was more upset that they were doing it better than we were. We all do it. The official usually gets on it right away and stops it. That's all I was saying."

Meanwhile, it's been speculated that Mangini broke an unwritten rule among the league's coaches by exposing Bill Belichick and the Patriots' use of a video camera to tape signals in their season-opening 38-14 win over the Jets.

"In terms of unwritten rules, you'd have to talk to the people that are bringing that up," Mangini said. "I feel very comfortable with where we are in the situation."

Sticking to story

In a bizarre interview that ended with Donovan McNabb walking off the podium at the Philadelphia Eagles practice facility, the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback reiterated his statement on HBO Tuesday night that black QBs face greater scrutiny than their white counterparts. "It's just reality," McNabb said. "It's something that I've been a part of and other quarterbacks before and after me have been a part of. Did I expect any backlash? Yeah. Everything I say, I expect backlash from it." . . . Jets quarterback Chad Pennington is hoping his injured right ankle has healed enough for him to be in the huddle this weekend against the Miami Dolphins. "My goal is to be available," Pennington said.

Owens fined for antics

The NFL fined Dallas wide receiver Terrell Owens "a good chunk of money" - which he later defined as thousands of dollars - for a celebration that included him using the goal post and football to poke fun at the Patriots' spying scandal during Dallas's 37-20 victory over Miami Sunday. A league spokesman said the fine was $7,500 . . . Safety J.R. Reed, released after his muffed punt led to a loss at Green Bay in the season opener, re-signed with the Eagles . . . Texans receiver Andre Johnson (sprained knee) ruled out playing against Indianapolis Sunday . . . Mark Ingram, a receiver on the Giants team that won the 1991 Super Bowl, was ordered to stand trial in Flint, Mich., on charges he broke into a garage and stole a woman's purse . . . The Bengals signed free agent linebacker Dhani Jones to a one-year contract.