Am I wrong for thinking the Jets seem to find a way to back in to the playoffs when their chances seem bleak more often than not? Without researching each season, it seems like when they need things to fall their way in the last 2 weeks it does at least as often for other teams. Obviously winning the division has been elusive, but when the Jets need a few teams to lose they seem to do so. Now when the Jets need to win, that's not always the case... AM I just looking at the league through a green colored lens?
They don't really back in though. In 2009 they won their final 2 games to get in. In 2010 they won 11 games and 2 out of their final 3. They don't make things easy, but when you're fighting for a WC spot cause the division is out of reach it usually never is easy. To me backing in has to do with your performance, not another teams. I remember them backing in the 2004 season, losing that game in St. Louis but getting in with help.
i mean 2009 i remember controlling our destiny if we won the last 3 we were in and we did so. and 2010 we went 11-5 so we did not need much help so i wouldn't say so exactly but we are gonna make it this year if we win out ! trust me something will fall our way
Looking at it one week at a time...you would take the Jets to get in this week every time. Jets @ Dallas KC @ Balt Pitt vs. Denver I like that we take care of business first on Saturday and apply the pressure to KC and Pitt on Sunday. KC 'should' be able to walk all over Baltimore, in Baltimore; Pitt 'should' struggle against 3rd seed, ranked, AFC Broncos.
Of course they have at certain times in their history. But not really recently is my point. 2002 they won 3 of their last 4 to win the division 2001 they won 3 of their last 4 to get a WC spot. 1998 they obviously didn't. I guess it really depends on what you consider backing in. To me it's playing poorly down the stretch but getting some help and getting in because of it.
To be fair, the Jets willingly backed into the playoffs in 2004. Not saying they would have won, but in OT, Herm was going to punt rather than attempt a 53 yard field goal. Then they got the update that Buffalo had lost, meaning we clinched a WC birth. At that point, he decided to kick the FG and try to win the game right there rather than pinning them back, when he felt more comfortable playing field position. As Herm expected, we missed the FG, and eventually the game. But at that point we were already in the playoffs. Might as well try to get off the field and prevent injuries. The players did not have the same emotion on the next drive.
Last time I remember Jets getting in on the final week with a loss when a playoff spot wasn't guaranteed going into the game was in 2004, the overtime loss to the Rams. But the Bills had already lost to the Steelers (backups) before our game even ended, which clinched a birth and obviously altered how we played the remainder of our game. Edit: beaten to it.
If the Jets win 5 out of their last 6 games and get a break from another team to get into the playoffs, that's not backing into the playoffs.
I think the issue here is that the title of your thread ("backing into the playoffs") isn't necessarily related to what your post describes ("getting help down the stretch"). There is no question that we have gotten the help we needed to get in many times in recent years, but as already pointed out, the only year we truly "backed in" was 2004.
I'm willing to buy the argument at this point that if the Jets win out they are very likely to get in with only a few scenarios where they don't. Steelers win out by beating the Broncos, who then play the Bengals and Chargers to end the season. That's a push for us if the Steelers win because the odds on the Broncos losing 5 games goes up dramatically and the Broncos cannot win the West if they tie the Chiefs at 11-5. The Jets would own the tiebreaker in the wildcard race against the 11-5 Broncos on conference record. Chiefs win out by beating 3 AFC teams and locking up any tie-breaker against the Broncos in the process. Steelers or Chiefs could lose a game and put the Jets in control of their own destiny. It took the Raiders win last Sunday to set the table for us but I think we're going to have to thread a very unlucky needle to go 11-5 and miss the playoffs.
Poor choice of words for the title. But yes we seem to get breaks here and there when we need them. Like dungy not going for 16-0 and playing curtis painter when we need a win.
It just seems that way cause we're usually never in contention for the division. Even in 2010 when we were tired for the lead in the division it didnt seem likely we would win it. Im not a believer of "backing into the playoffs though"..if you win the usually necessary 9 or 10 games to be a playoff team it doesnt matter where on the schedule those wins came from.
That was Jim Caldwell. Tony Dungy did rest Peyton whenever he had nothing to play for at the end of the season. In 2008 Peyton went 7-7 in game 16 and then sat down for Jim Sorgi.
Remember when the Bengals benched all their starters the last week to let us in the playoffs and then we played them again the next week and knocked them out. Hahaha that was the best.
I'm definitely thinking that in that situation you make your offense earn the respite by scoring a TD before they come off the field. You make your defense earn the respite by forcing a punt. Then at least the next week you aren't facing a team that start to finish rag dolled you the previous week.
