I think the makeup of this team is better then 98. I think the mixture of winning veterans, and a seasoned coaching staff, that has grown along with the team, is what can put us over the top.
vinny didnt start playing well until week 7 here is vinny's game log from 98 http://www.nfl.com/players/vinnytestaverde/gamelogs?id=TES415290&season=1998 here is favre's game log from 08 http://www.nfl.com/players/brettfavre/gamelogs?id=FAV540222
I thought about that yesterday.... I think this team is better than the 98 team and they have a chance to beat any team that they play in the playoffs. In 98 we all knew Denver was the team to beat and we needed a perfect game to go into Mile High and beat them. Unfortunately we only played a perfect half and an average game. In 02 Oakland was by far the best team in the AFC, they had a better coach and Rich Gannon was unstoppable. They had a good running game and two HOF receivers. Their defense was also very good and they knew to beat Chad you had to blitz him. In 04 we beefed up our win total by playing an easy early season schedule and verybody saw through the team that started 5-0. They struggled going into the playoffs and even though they should have won the Steeler game they needed a defensive TD and a special teams TD or the ineptness that was the offense wouldn't have kept us in the game. Of those 3 only the 98 team had a legit shot at winning the SB and I think had the Vikings gotten there they would have beaten the Jets. This team reminds me more of the 86 team, they struggled early in the season and could put alot of points on the board. The big difference though is Joe Walton isn't coaching this team and I don't forsee a 5 game losing streak going into the playoffs.
Once you got rid of Herm, you got better. I'm rooting for you guys, I hope they go deep into the playoffs. I'm jumping on the bandwagon, tired of the chefs pathetic game plan after 38 years.
Elam Elam is waaaaay better than Smith. I just feel alot more comfortable with Elam in...He covers well too
Vinny was 12-1 as a starter in the reg season, favre has already lost 3 games. #s don't always tell the story, Vinny played well vs. Indy and Miami in weeks 3 & 4 and rescued us from an 0-2 hole. I know we ran for like 300 yds against the Colts but Vinny was still good. favre just started playing well 3 weeks ago, Vinny was playing well all year.
true true, but the point is we won the games that favre played poorly in. (minus oakland) And Favre is hot now, so it will be all about how this team finishes down the stretch to determine where the overall regular season greatness lies. 98' was by far one of the best years of Jets football that I have been around for. 02' game at green bay followed by the spanking of the colts 41-0 was amazing as well. I said it going into that divisional game, winner of Oakland vs. Jets will play in the super bowl. unfortunately we lost, and oakland went on to get spanked by Gruden. This year, we have a dominant squad pounding quality teams, and apparently scoring basically whenever we feel like it. While making it 5+ minute drives. This team has me just as excited as the 98' squad, and I will desperately be rooting for a better outcome in the postseason. This is the year we make the deep run boys. Anything less than an AFC title game appearance is a dissapointment at this point.
I was thinking back this morning, too. When I thought back, I was thinking that the 98 team surely had to be better. When I looked at individual players or units, though, the comparison got much more muddled. You could argue either way regarding Vinny and Brett. Personally, I think Vinny had a better season than Brett will end up having, but Favre is improving every week and doing what's necessary to win. At running back, I hate to say it but it's almost a wash. Curtis Martin is my all time favorite Jet from my lifetime, and he was solid that season, but TJ looks to break his numbers all around. The receiving corps are fairly even. Keyshawn is the most physically gifted receiver we've had in the past 10 years, but I'd say the combination of Cotchery and Coles may be even with KJ and Chrebet. Stuckey, Smith, etc. is even with Dedric Ward and Alex van Dyke, if not better. Tight end is clearly becoming an advantage for this team. Kyle Brady was a good blocker, though. Defensively, I'd say our defensive backfield was likely better in 98, but if Ty Law returns to form fully, it'll be a push. Gotta love Revis and Rhodes back there, but that 98 team was solid all around. Our pass D in 98 was better than the run D, though. I don't think anybody would argue that the LB corps in 98 was one of the most beloved we've had for the Jets. Up front, our current offensive line is just plain dominant. I'd put them way above 98. The big difference for me comes in the Leons. We all loved Leon Johnson and felt his career ended too soon, but he was no Washington. Leon Washington is a true 3-way threat, and the biggest advantage this team has over the 12-4 team of 10 years ago.
Yeah, but Vinny also had more time with the offense. If I remember correctly, he was picked up early in July, so he spent all of training camp with the team. Brett came in at the mid-to-end of training camp. He had to learn on the job, much more so than Vinny.
IMO this is a much more talented team then 98. In 98 we were barely above average talent wise but were the best coached team in the league.
A Couple weeks ago i didn't think so but after beating the undefeated titans in there house i think its becoming 1998 except with Favre at the gun.
That doesn't mean favre '08 is better than Vinny '98, that will end up meaning the '08 team is better than the '98 team was. I HOPE this team ebds up being better, I am getting a '98 feel about them except this time there's not a team like Denver in the way. Vinny basically had about 2-3 weeks more time than Brett as he came in late July and Favre early August. of course Vinny had a few reg season games to sit and watch too. As far as RBs: We are better this year, Curtis wasn't great in '98 and was playing hurt. Our duo this year is alot better than we had in '98. Receivers: Key is better than anyone we have now but Coles and Cotch would be #2 and we didn't have anything like Dustin keller in '98. DBs: We didn't have a S as good as Rhodes or a corner as good as revis(Glenn was a bit overrated and remember he got hurt so by the end of the year Mickens was starting). Leon Johnson got hurt in 1998, that was a HUGE loss b/c we got Meggett after that and he killed us w/ that non catch on the KR in denver.
The 1998 team really got going around this part of the season too, so we'll see how far this one goes. Impossible to say right now, but at least we're good enough now to even be comparing it. The 2004 team was good before Chad did the shoulder in November but they had the Pats in the division at the peak of their dominance, so the road was never as wide open as it is now or was in 1998.
This team is absolutely dominating on both sides of the ball right now. I don't think the '98 team ever dominated anybody like the Titans were dominated yesterday. Of course it could change but right now there isn't a team in the AFC, not a one, that I can see beating the Jets...other than the Jets of course.
We dominated eventual NFC Champion Atlanta! Of course, that was before they got hot. For the most part, the ball bounced our way throughout the season (Seattle), but we again had some very close games in there on our way to 12-4.
We looked really good at the end of '02, but our defense was pretty bad all season (especially the run d, which was a sieve). '04 we just weren't really that good, we could finally stop the run, but the pass d was at-best average and Pennington's arm was shot by the end of the season.
They were also missing their QB that day, I can't remember who it was but 44-year-old Steve DeBerg started for them. I was at that game.
Yeah, he did the rotator cuff in early November after we had started 5-1 or 6-1, something like that. He really shouldn't have been out there at the end of that season, it set him and the Jets back two or three years.
Chris Chandler. We also beat Miami on a Sunday Night at Miami then Buf at Buf 6 days later. That team was a big time team.
