Give it a rest already. Anyone have any thoughts on how badly the Patriots would have humiliated the Jets a week later in Foxborough?
He pulled it, didn't shank it. Our HC deserves some (not all, not even most) of the blame because he tookt he air out of the ball. You can do that for a 30 yd FG, but not a 43 fg
In January of 1987, I blamed Joe Walton for the double OT loss in Cleveland--not Mark Gastineau. The Jets had the ball and were a 1st down away from sealing the game, and Walton refused to throw it. Since January of 2005, I've blamed Herm for the OT loss in Pittsburgh for the same reasons. However, I think the fault really lies with Bradway. He's the one that bungled away our most clutch FG kicker, John Hall to the Redskins, (not too mention our best Guard, Wide Receiver (twice), Kick Returner, and our RB of the future.) Why he is still in the front office?
Much like Jan '05 the O couldn't move the ball. You are assuming they could have thrown for a 1st down but the O when O'Brien was in there was pathetic outside of the Freeman run to put us up 20-10. Hall had some clutch kicks but he was not always reliable. Brien was great in '03 then in the 2nd half of '04 he lost it. Our best G was vastly overpaid by wash and replaced nicely w/ Kendall, the KR obviously wasn't a big deal as Morton has done little since he left us and the RB of the future had a poor year in his first year as a starter and hasn't proven he can be anything mroe than a good backup.
You never know. In '85 NE had made the title game at Miami and had lost about 20 straight in the Orange Bowl and yet they found a way to win. Nothing is certain, we probably would have lost but you never know.
At the time, these guys were our best players. Certainly Coles was in 2003, and Moss was in 2004. Thomas was our best guard, and the Jets got lucky when that nut job in Arizona cut Kendall. Morton
Our best WR in 2004 was Justin McCareins, getting Coles back for Moss no one complained about(except me, I wanted Coles I just dind't want to give up Moss). Whethr we got lucky or not we got kendall and replaced Thomas at a fraction of the cost.
This is it in a nutshell. Herm and Hackett. Brien became the scapegoat, but those two gave him too much to handle on that field, in those conditions and under that kind of pressure.
It was not Herm that time. Brien had more than one chance to win that game and he couldn't do it. Sure Herm could have tried to get closer but regardless, Doug Brien had a job to do and did not do his job that night, the blame is on him. There's a reason he is no longer in the league.
Actually, if anyone complained, it was me. I always thought Moss was better than Coles.. or at least better upside, but you guys wanted to go this route. Now as to blaming Bradway? Come on. Get real. It was January, and the team was good enough (don't give me the back door shit.. you make th eplayoffs over 16 games, not 1) to make the playoffs and win a road playoff game. Bradway did a good enough job. Herm has some blame to take because he played not to lose. There is no question. Get the ball to the 15-20 and then if the kicker misses it's 100% his fault. When you stop on the 27, well then you take some blame, especially when there is time for a play and you DOWN THE BALL!!?!? - 45% blame to Herm 55% goes to Brien, because while it wasn't the best situation, that's a kicker's job.. make that kick.
Mostly Herm. Obviously Brien had two chances to save Herm's ass, so he shares in the blame, but taking the knee and not even centering the ball clinches it for Herm. At least run Curtis, who never fumbles, into the line once or twice and pound out some more positive yardage at no risk--and maybe even center the ball a bit, instead of the angle from the hash mark. Herm had them ready to go and the team responded, but coaching decisions in the waning seconds of big games distinguish the good from the great.
I choose Doug but Id like too choose Herm as well . due to the fact if you knew your kicker has been struggeling you should have gotten closer for the kicks !
The kickers job is to make those type of Fgs, that is what he gets paid to do. The Hcs job is to put the K in the best position to make those Fgs. This one is easy, they share the blame but IMO Brien deserves most of the blame for choking in the biggest spot of his life.
You've got to say Brien. The bottom line is if he makes a makeable kick the game is over and the Jets win. Of course, Herms decision to waste a play in order to make sure there would be no time on the clock after the FG attempt certainly has a high place in the pantheon of boneheaded moves by Jets coaches.
Although the taking a knee call by herm was so idiotic, doug brien was the ultimate factor. Say we hadn't taken a knee on that play and ran the ball for say 3 yards. Now the kick is easier, but that would've had to be a 18 yarder for the kick he did to go in.
Okay, any given sunday, etc. Sure. Problem is the Pats annihilated the Colts, and then smacked the Steelers pretty good at Heinz. I'd have loved to seen them try, but the Jets would have been meat. I live in New England, it would have been a pretty painful to live through that, trust me.
