No, he really wasn't. the Jets had a bend-but-don't break defense under his tutelage for 3 years running while they were in the process of switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3. That's really hard to do. The Jets basically didn't lose anything going from 2000 to 2001 despite asking just about everybody on the defense to play a different role since they moved to Cover 2 as well as switching the front. When Edwards finally got all the pieces together in 2004 the defense was really quite good. And yes, Donnie Henderson had a lot to do with that as well but he's never been as good with any other head coach as he was with Herm once the 4-3 Cover 2 pieces were in place.
I think he said repeatedly over the years that one of his guiding principles was that as long as you're in it you can still win it. He coached that way too and came two missed FG's away from an AFC Championship game In Pittsburgh.
herm edwards was the KING of blaming everyone but himself. he was the worst head coach in jets history including rich kotite. fuck him.
you have to completely ignore the fact that Herm put his kicker in a difficult situation because he was afraid to make a mistake himself. Herm may not have missed the kick, but Herm absolutely refused to get himself in more makeable range in a stadium difficult to kick in. everybody in the stadium knew we were running the ball those plays, especially on first down. both those possessions a play action pass likely gains huge yards and makes those kicks chip shots. but Herm was afraid of a mistake. afraid. he preferred to settle for any FG. that is on Herm. just compare that to the Broncos this past weekend. they had run the ball almost every first down in the second half, and Pittsburgh played 1st down in OT as a run. what netted a large gain that a great stiff arm turned into a game winner -- the play action pass. why? because the Broncos weren't afraid of a potential mistake because they believed that the potential for a big play was worth it. it was their best chance to move the ball downfield. Herm was absolutely content with the FG range he was in, and that was Herm's fault-- not trying to get his team in the best position to win and having a "yeah, it's good enough" philosophy. Herm let himself down, not the kicker. no kick is guarantee just because it is in makeable range, so the coach has to try and make it as easy as possible. Herm did not. Fuck Herm for that game, that is all on him. Brien misses a 25 yard FG then I would be singing a different tune.
I went to school with Doug. He was a GREAT kicker in college. Won so many games for us at the last second. He was totally clutch. In my opinion, his NFL coaches didn't develop him and that's why he collapsed. A lot of a kicker's game is mental work, and if that gets messed up, its on the coaches to help set it straight.
I can't be the only one that gets queasy when he realizes that the 4 letter network uses our former head coach of 5 years as comic relief.
Franchise defining? sure. a 41-0 loss in Foxboro might well have defined our franchise going further. That's very close to the likely outcome of that game had Brien made either one of those field goals. NE was streamrolling and the Jets were playing with a normally weak-armed QB with a torn rotator cuff. Its been documented before but his arm was so injured/spent by the end of the PIT game that they contemplated having to take him out. Couple all of this with a backup QB that went AWOL (q. carter) and a massive snow storm that hit the New England area that week and we woulda seen a huge NE blowout in the AFCC game. I was as excited as anyone at the time but the Jets got a lucky draw that year. Playing a SD team and coach full of chokers (brees aside) and a rookie QB the next week. That's a WAY easier draw than @IND, @NE, @PIT that we saw last year
I love how this turned into an exercise of rumination over whether Herm was a good head coach. Back to the point of the OP, I totally agree with you. I was actually listening to the Damashek podcast on NFL.com and Steve Smith was talking about this. He said the same thing: If you are going to come out and say something, you better put your name to it and be accountable.
That's why I fault Herm with that loss...... Your kicker already missed a kick in a notoriously bad kicking stadium, so what do you do on 3rd down...... take a knee and lose a few more yards, instead of at least trying to get a few more and make it easier........ then blame their misfortunes on their kicker by using their 1st draft pick the next season on a kicker. yes, petro, he sure can talk, and is a likeable guy, just not a good head coach and now has found the right career.
