I'm relatively new to this thread, so I didn't understand about darksiders" until today. I've been a fan since '64. I have an 18 yo and a 12 yo son. I" don't want them to be perpetually down on the Jets ( i'm afraid that sickness has already hit my 18 y.o.) Is it hopeless?
It doesn't have to be 1986. We lost two games in a row, it happens, this team can write its own history but they have to do it. Most if not all of them know nothing about 1986. That year, by the way, the team did right itself and was on its way to the AFC Championship Game before blowing that game in Cleveland, they were also missing a lot more important guys than we are right now and changed QBs at the end of the year twice.
Mike Hickey was our draft guru in the 80s... He was responsible for such unforgettables as Ron Faurot & Mike Haight. Toon over Rice, O'Brien over Marino...the lost goes on Of course the medical staff failed Anthony Munoz...
Hickey was there in the 1970's when they found Wes Walker, Joe Kleuko, Marty Lyons, Gastinea, Joe Fields, Scott Dierking, Clark Gaines, Bruce Harper -- lots of guys picked in the bottom rounds or undrafted FAs.
Lyons was a 1st round no-brainer Walker had 1st round talent but slipped to 2nd because of his blindness in one eye. They lucked into Gastineau because they coached him at a college all-star game. Stil picked him 2nd after '79. Klecko & Fields were finds but they were drafted. Harper was undrafted. Hickey's drafts hurt the team. Just look at all the failed mid-round picks in the 80s. There was no nucleus for the future. Check out their drafts, esp. 1984-1989
THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!! THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!! I think some of you guys should just go and join the Pats forum.
Toon and O'Brien were very good draft picks. If Marino and Rice were sure things at the time they would have gone in the top five instead they went in the second half of round one because MORE THAN HALF THE TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE PASSED ON THEM. They were winning lottery tickets, nothing more. Sapp on the other hand was a sure thing and if we could have paired him with Hugh Douglas that would have been something special.
Faurot and Haight were awful picks, but you are correct, criticism of the Jets for passing on Marino is overblown for the reasons you mentioned. I would also add O'Brien while not in Marino's league, obviously, was better than some other Qb's picked that year such as Blackledge and Eason.
