Not only is this weeks game critical to our playoff chances, it may give us some insight on how this regime is going to handle adversity. Last week was the most important game of their tenure to date and losing it the way they did could be detrimental to the rest of the season. Will they panic and shit the bed? Have they lost confidence in themselves? Will there be a noticeable difference in their demeanor? Will they respond by making adjustments and continuing to get better? I'm not saying if we come out and lose this week it means the staff is awful. I just think we may learn a lot about these guys based on how they respond to the way things went last week. On the flip side of the coin, if we come out and dominate in all phases of the game, it clearly means they're geniuses. :rofl:
i agree....im really interested to see how this team responds...it will be a real good measurement as to where this team is at... do they realize that theyre still in the playoff hunt? or do they say oh man we suck and as you said "crap the bed"
The only response I have to this thread is. The Jets lost 41-0 against the Jags, then came back the next week to beat the Fish. Hopefully this will repeat itself.
It's gonna be a HUUUUGE bounce back week. The Fins are gonna be the ones to make us earn a Playoff trip.
I hope we handle the vike's like we handled the pack. control the ball and take advantage of turn overs. We need to build a head of steam to take into the dolphin game.
Why does it always have to come down to this with this team?? So, they weren't prepared right last week? We should of taking care of business last week, no one said it would of been easy last week, but we should of beaten the Bills at friggen HOME.
I think this is actually gonna be a tougher game than anticipate. The Vikes are a pretty good team. Although Brad Johnson hasn't been playing well lately, he's still got game, and it doesn't seem to matter who they have in at RB, they get the ball moving on the ground, which unfortunately is our major weakness. If Chester Taylor's back and running behind McKinney, Hutchinson, and Birk, we could be in for a long day. Some people may think it's a bad thing, but I actually look at this positively: Minny has the #1 rush defense, and our rushing offense struggles pretyt bad at times. I'm fine with that, because they have a lousy pass D and we have a pretty good air attack (depending which Pennington shows up). I'd rather play a defense that specialized in stopping the thing we can't do than being able to stop the one thing we do well.
I think the Bills game showed clearly where this team is. The Jets had it all served up on a silver platter. A golden opportunity to take complete control of the wildcard and even possibly position for a run at the division. Playoff teams do not do what the Jets did last weekend. The Jets did not play with a sense of urgency. They looked tight and flat. Defensively we took a couple of steps backward. The Offensive game plan lacked imagination. Chad did not play well, but the Offensive Line didn't have a good game either. Yes, the Jets could beat Minnesota; not a given by any means. The Jets could go 10-6; it will not be easy at all and we still may not be in a wild card berth. 10-6 usually gets you in the playoffs, but is not a guarantee. I can't remember the year, but I think there was a team with an 11-5 record that sat home for the holidays - I think this happened only once in NFL history. BTW, the Dolphins have picked it up, too. That game is far from a gimmie, and the Fish could very well possibly tail whip us. Now, even if the planets do not align, and we do not make the playoffs, and finish 9-7 or something like that, I will still be extremely happy with the effort and progress we made this year. Never forget that we were in a horrible state of disarray mid-January of 2006; old personnel, QB unknown commodity, cap issues, no O line, no coach, and just totally screwed. Mangini has done a hell of a lot since coming here; much more than I thought possible in 1 year. Next year we should be even better.
