I loved Foley but you're right maybe we pull out that first game if Vinny started. He started in game 3. We did lose the first 2. Good point Vinny was really good in 98. One thing that the 99 team didn't do nearly as well as the 1998 team was pressure the QB. Cox and Pleasant( yes an Anthony Pleasant refrence) both were solid in 98. Mo Lewis had his best year as a Jet in 98. I'm not sure Pleasant was on the 1999 team and Cox kind of fell off the cliff. They had 10 sacks between them in 98 and zero in 1999. The 99 team didn't get to the QB and the D wasn't as good. I think Byars who had that terrible fumble in the Denver game wasn't on the 99 team. Byars actually was a decent player off the bench. It's a good argument and you're absolutely right we might pull out 1 of those first two games with Vinny playing in 98 and of course that team would have definitely been in the hunt in 99. I used to love the argument whose better Ray Lucas or Rick Mirer. The answer was Matt Robinson after a thumb wrestling tournament.
The killer was the McCaffery or Rod Smith long catch on PA. Denver scores, kicks off the wind was blowing so hard, the kickoff literally came down fading toward the broncos, Jets let the ball hit the ground, bounced toward Denver 10yards, and they recovered. Game over. Jets had 6 turnovers that day.
That team was red hot at the end of the season, damn shame the Fitzmagic wore off against Buffalo. If he stayed hot that team probably would've made some noise.
You brought up some things, and people, I had long forgotten.... it has been twenty years, where did the time go!? The point you made here about the defense was really key to me, I had completely forgotten that. I only have two counters and I’m not entirely sure of either, but I really like this conversation so I’ll lay it out there and let you judge: 1. VT’s season in ‘98 put the Jets in a lot of good situations and our QBs in ‘99 were, erm, not as good. I can’t help but wonder how much field position and playing from behind made the ‘99 defense look worse than maybe it was? I am really just theorizing since my memory is nowhere near good enough to say for certain, but damn I would have loved to have seen that ‘99 team with 16 games of VT. Or even 1 full game! 2. My only other potential counter is that when VT went down in ‘99 it seemed like the life came out of the team for awhile. It was at least 2-4 games where they seemed to be playing like the wind was knocked out of them. I only mention this because by the time the team started to really come back together, the season was hanging by a thread. Playing a third of the season like you’ve given up and playing the other two thirds like you can’t afford to lose had to have some effect of the team.... or so I would think. Anyway, it may be that I am full of shit. Certainly most of my family would agree. I just wonder how much the circumstances affected the overall team play, good and bad. Frankly, that’s one of the things I love about football— it is the quintessential team sport. Anyway, what do you think? BTW, a few asides: I really liked Glenn Foley back then as well. I wanted him to succeed just because he seemed like a nice, decent person. He also seemed like a pretty decent QB. Unfortunately, I don’t think he really had the talent or the physical toughness to start. Mo Lewis: isn’t it nice remembering a time when he was still known primarily as a great LB and one of our beloved Jets heroes and not as the greatest scout in Patriots history? I forgot about that Lucas and Mirer joke. That was great, thanks for reminding me.
They missed Powell immensely that day he was such a big part of the stretch run they had. Ivory put up some yards that day but for whatever reason the Jets coaches didn't go to him enough. I think deep down Bowles hasn't forgiven Powell for that day. It seems he's been trying to replace him ever since first with that washed up JAG Forte and now with Browns reject Crowell.
Yes, although I also feel we had the best team in football in 1998. And I think we had the 2nd best team in football in 1986.
We're cursed. Nothing will ever be our year. We upset the football gods and they are making us pay. I'm starting to think we'll never win. They love to make us miserable.
You know things are in the shitter when we’re reminissing about how we “coulda been a contender” a quarter of the way into the season.
I agree that 1999 and 2010 were years that we could have won it all. I think 1986 was also our year. Sack exchange, O'Brian to Toon and Walker, Schuler and McNeil. Injuries, bad coaching and a Gastineau roughing the passer penalty doomed that team.
Bottom line: they finish the game against the Broncos in 98, they KILL the Falcons in the SB. THAT was it. I will never ever ever forget that stomach-sick feeling I got when I saw Vinny banging the turf and knew his season was over, worst regular season moment I feel I have experienced as a Jets fan honestly. However, we really don’t know how that season would have gone. Think about how good of a year Fitz had with us and then how he came back the next season. You really just never know. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah the Jets were primed to go deep into the playoffs. Game ONE season over. Another misstep was Parcells staying with Rick Mirer too long. Ray Lucas came in and was getting it done. But it was too late to salvage the season.
98 was the year. That was the magical year in which Vinny actually realized his physical potential. I personally think Vinny would have regressed to the mean in 99.
