Today, while thinking about this weekend's game, it struck me that this game is more important than it appears to be on the surface. Before I begin, I want to be clear that I believe reaching the post-season in consecutive seasons is a great achievement. Both Rex and Mike T deserve a lot of credit for that. Last season expectations for the Jets were low, and they certainly experienced a few rough patches throughout the season. However, they overcame that adversity, caught a couple of breaks, and made it to the playoffs. What caught most by surprise though, was how they took advantage of the opportunity to get 2 big road playoff wins and scare the crap out of the Colts, before running out of magic in the second half of the AFC Championship Game. From that point on, everything the Tanny and Ryan have done is to get this team into a position to improve on 2009 and win the Super Bowl. They brought in high-profile veteran talent in the form of Ladainian Tomlinson, Antonio Cromartie, Jason Taylor, and Santonio Holmes. They put their boisterous head coach in the national media spotlight via Hard Knocks. And they told anyone who asked (and even those who didn't) that they are the favorites to win the Super Bowl. And up until 5 weeks ago, it looked like they had done everything right. The team was winning. Mark Sanchez had shown marked improvement and the team was winning games with clutch performances at the end of games. Then with the national spotlight at it's brightest, they stumbled in an embarrassing MNF game against the team and coach that have been the thorns in this teams side for the last 10 years. Following that loss, the team appeared to lose some of its mojo with a couple of disappointing losses sandwiching a gutty win in Pittsburgh. The 11 win season was an accomplishment for sure....but it certainly fell short of Rex Ryan's goal to "lead the league in f*cking wins." And it put the team in the difficult position of having to win 3 road games to improve on the previous season. Given where they are right now, it seems unlikely that they can navigate the extremely tough road to the Super Bowl in the AFC. And considering how well the Patriots are playing right now, any rationale Jets fan can't be too confident that they can even reach the AFC Championship Game again (I'm not saying it is impossible....just a very tall order as the Pats at home present a tough matchup for the Jets). But before we can start thinking about the Patriots, a formidable opponent awaits this weekend in Payton Manning and the Colts. If the Jets go to Indy and lose, what does that say about all that Tannenbaum and Ryan have done since their last meeting? Regardless of how they have played during the regular season, this team has been built to compete against teams like the Colts. The hired guns that have been brought in MUST come up big in this game. Rex and Mike have gone "all-in" with this team. In my opinion a road win against the Colts validates the Jets moves (regardless of how the rest of the post-season plays out). A loss will have a lot of people questioning the personnel moves and the job Rex has done preparing this team. Now, I don't think this would put either Tannenbaum or Ryan in any jeopardy, but I do think it would ratchet up the pressure for next season in a big way. I hate to overstate the importance of any one game, but this is a game that will have a huge impact on which way the pendulum swings for this team.
I agree there's a huge difference between getting knocked out by Indy this weekend and getting knocked out by NE the next. There won't be any shame in losing a competitive game against the Pats. But losing this weekend will be tough to take. Winning this weekend and then getting blown out by NE would also suck.
The team just went 11-5 after making the AFCCG last season. 2010 is the best record since 1998. Third best season record in franchise history. Tannenbaum and Ryan are off to a great start regardless of whether they beat Peyton on the road on Saturday. Great season thus far and lets hope our Jets keep on rolling in the playoffs !!!
Aside from running off with his mouth, I still fail to see how Rex and Tanny have gone "all-in" with this team. The team is young, will have the cap flexibility to keep whoever it wants and will continue to grow together starting with #6. His growth is what's most important and the big-game and playoff experience he's been able to garner before the age of 25 bodes very well for his future. Aside from a third (hopefully second. FUCK THE COLTS!!!) round pick, they've done nothing to mortgage their future. No question if they lose this game it's a HUGE let-down based on the expectations that were set on Hard Knocks. But it isn't going to change the fact that because of the young talent that Mr. T has managed to stock this team with, the future is very bright.
Any playoff game is critical. And this team hasn't gone all in. They're built for long term success. I can see them back in the playoffs next year as a wild card again, and it wouldn't bother me because the Patriots are that good again.
this game is potentially a franchise defining one. If we beat Indianapolis our confidence will be at an all time high going into new england. If anybody can knock those fuckers off it's us. Regardless of what would happen in NE, a win would put both Rex and Sanchez in rare air of our franchise (in terms of playoff wins) in their first two years. A loss and Rex's way of coaching is brought under fire for an entire offseason. A win and Rex is the valiant guy with unfinished bussiness, who everyone knows is going to get it done. If he loses to Brady, it's the second year he ran into the best team in the AFC and came close, but just couldnt get a win. And then it no longer would be a question of "if" we win it all but of "when." If he manages to beat Brady, he becomes a messiah to Jets fans everywhere, and is bound to become a legend in NY for the remainder of his life. But if he loses to Manning again, every decision Rex has ever made will come under fire. Rex was right, this game is personal, for a million and one reasons.
Good post. I agree Rex has raised the bar and through his own mouth made a one and done playoff appearance a failure, but I also agree that he will get a pass thanks to his 11 wins, which is a two game improvement over the previous year's regular season performance.
I think it's a big game. I mean all you can ask is that you legitimately compete for a championship year in and year out. If you do that, if you keep knocking at the door eventually you will break through. We win this game and I think it makes us for the second year in a row a legit contender. If we lose this season is a disappointment for me. It doesn't mean Rex is a disappointment but just that the moves we made for this year didn't get us to where we needed to be. I also don't think this was an all in season. I think as Sanchez gets better and we get rid of some of the older players we have on d to get younger and faster this team will only get better.
To be clear, my "all in" comment was not necessarily intended to mean that it is this year or nothing, but more to mean that they have brought in players with limited shelf life (Taylor and LT) and others with expiring contracts (Holmes, Cromartie, and Edwards), but more importantly, that Ryan has stated that they will win the Super Bowl this year (there are only so many times that that statement can be made before it gets tuned out).
This team is 11-5 and back in the playoffs again w/a 2nd Yr HC and a 2d yr QB. Ryan never stated that the Jets Will Win the SB this year. Everybody in the organization has stated that the goal is to win the SB this year and every year.
Which, to be fair, should be EVERY teams goal. Marvin Lewis today said that there is unfinished buisness in Cincinatti. What did you think he meant? Cupcakes? He wants to win the fucking Superbowl. Rex does too, he just doesn't sugarcoat it. He didn't say "We're going to take it all" he said "Our season is a failure unless we win the SB." Apparently Rex has the same line of thinking at champ. Which sort of scares me, now that I think about it.
It's only in the current era of sports tabloid journalism that this could possibly be considered a critical game for Ryan. This is a guy who is 20-12 in the regular season and 2-1 (so far) in the postseason in his first two seasons; even if the Jets lose on Saturday, his record after two years is much better than the vast majority of coaches and managers in any sport, and he's done it with a rookie/second year player at the most important position in any sport (who has shown plenty of growing pains along the way), and with a team that was 13-19 in the two previous years. He's in a position of the perfect storm of media BS - he likes to talk, he coaches in the NFL (where tens of millions of fans have nothing to do 6 of the 7 days of the week but obsess about what isn't happening), and he coaches in the media capital of the world where half of the fans and reporters will hate him because they root for the other local team. I'm very sure that idiots like Cimini and Francesa will claim that a loss on Saturday is some ringing indictment of Ryan and the Jets, but in point of fact by any objective measure Ryan has had far more success than could have reasonably been expected, whatever happens against Indianapolis.
How can any game in Sanchez's 2nd year be make or break for the front office. If anything their make or break game is 2-3 years down the road............
I disagree with this to an extent. Going 9-7 and then 11-5 is very impressive and a sign of progression. The Jets franchise can't help that 11-5 gets a #6 seed this year. Heck, 12-4 gets a #6 seed and 13-3 only gets a #5 seed this year for the Jets. Can't help how well the Patriots have played. Going into Indianapolis and losing a close game to the best QB of our generation can't be considered a huge failure or anything. Manning is great. Still, I think the Jets will win in the end. Unless they look like complete crap, a loss would not be a big cause for concern. At least to me.
its still superbowl or bust for me i like that the jets are now legit contenders but they need to win a championship, a win this weekend is huge but a loss vs NE would basically negate the entire season for me look at the eagles 5 nfc title games and nothing to show for it
Of course, it's a critical game. Every playoff game is a critical game. This team has been billed as a Super Bowl contender by this own regime for a while, and if you look at it on paper, there's every reason to think that. The only real injuries this team have are Kris Jenkins and Jim Leonhard, and it's hard to expect Big Jenks to stay healthy anyway. We made offseason moves to beat the Colts, and now they're more banged up than we could ever ask for. If we can't beat the Colts now, it's a setback. Especially given the number of free agents we have. That said, we have enough players where this team won't be going away anytime soon. We've gone from 9-7 to 11-5 in two years. That's progress. Losing one game in the playoffs is a setback, but not enough to even think of putting Ryan on the hot seat. Even if Ryan goes 4-12 next season, he's earned one more year to right the ship, barring some sort of utter implosion on and off the field. To me, for this season to be minimal success, we needed to get to the divisional round of the playoffs. Winning this game would accomplish that. That was my minimum expectation for this team. Ryan says it's Super Bowl or bust, so I don't think it's unrealistic to think the season is a mild disappointment if we get knocked out now.
thank you. Rex has some things to work on, and Tanny has his work cut out for him considering how many picks the Patriots keep piling up, but these guys get at least as much time as Bruce Coslet before we give up on them.
How about some continuity for a change....Lets not call for the firing of coaches just because they walk funny. No Coach is has all the right calls all the time.
