Ok, it seems that there cannot be ANY conversation about Rex Ryan or this team without these two games being brought up. Now if they gave out trophies for appearances in Championship games, I'd get the defense alot quicker however, those games both ended in losses. Not that losing both games has prevented many a Jet fan from using the AFCCG defense. Is that an indictment of the futility of a franchise that hasn't appeared in, nor won a Superbowl in almost half a century? Every interview with the media has to include some reference to the "back to back AFCCG appearances" by either Ryan or Tannenbaum. Hell, you can't have a decent conversation with any Jet fan without hearing that defense. If we had won just one of those games and went on to the Super Bowl and lost there, it would be a stronger defense to use. As it is, you'd think they gave out trophies for simply appearing in those games and they do not. So I got to ask the group. Why use that as a defense of both the Team and its FO/CS which at the end of this season was clearly shown to be dysfunctional? To keep hearing Ryan, Tannenbaum and Jet fans trotting this out week after week honestly makes the franchise sound desperate for validation as if playing in the Big Gray Box aka: MetLife Stadium isn't enough. It certainly doesn't help being second fiddle to the Giants who can actually point to more than one SB appearance and Victory since man landed on the moon. I don't like the Giants period. lets get that straight up front. I respect them, I do not like them. They however don't need to point to losses as validation. We as JetNation need to raise our sights just a bit higher. Those two AFCCG's appearances cannot be enough, cannot be what we hang our collective hats on for validation. Its not good enough nor has losing EVER been good enough. Coming in third is exactly that. Nobody but Jet Fans cares that we appeared in and loss 2 AFCCG's back to back. If its validation we're seeking, we need to look elsewhere and talk up something else besides back to back losses on the national stage in the 2nd biggest game of the NFL Season. Feel free to fire away..
I personally never thought it was that serious I'd understand that maybe if we made the superbowl and lost in it, but we've been bragging about being the 2nd best team in the AFC. Hopefully, we can get over these appearances. Bragging about being the runner-up needs to stop.
I don't have a problem with fans bringing those games up. But Rex brings them up far too often for my taste.
The only reason they're brought up so much is because fans keep crying about 8-8 and wanting the entire coaching staff fired. They are reminded of why RR should be kept around. It makes no sense to clean house right now.
The biggest problem is you saw how the Giants/Niners basically played that game like it was a war and the entire Jets team last year looked like they couldn't get out of Pittsburgh fast enough. How do you come out flat for a Championship game?
Because as a franchise we've only ever once achieved more than reaching a Championship game. We've reached only four in our history and two of them were the past two seasons. It's relevant because it shows a higher level of achievement than we have achieved previously. Reaching it twice shows it wasn't just one lucky run, but rather a repeatable success. I don't think anybody is satisfied with losing Championship games, but you can't win the ones you're not in.
Only Jets fans look at two brutal losses in the AFCCG as success. In Jets fans minds the Buffalo Bills are probably a dynasty.
Thanks for GREAT post. Echoes my sentiments exactly SB or bust. If I may add one thing RR is going into the 4th year of a 5 year contract. If the 2012 season is a non PO season as some of us expect then the end result is RR will probably not be renewed. So to sum up RR is really dead man walking right now:sad:
I see those two afc championship games as taking a step into the right direction. We as fans of this team have endured a lot of disappointment and getting that close to the promise land is going to be ackowledged as success regardless of outcome. For a rookie head coach to bring his team to two straight championship games is a lot better than not making the playoffs at all. Thats why when people call for Rex and everyone in the organization to get fired its kinda funny and moronic to be honest. Sure he isn't a perfect coach but what coach is?. In fact, what person is perfect for that matter?. I love Rex and what he's been able to accomplish in his 3 years here. I think this season was a huge dissapointment but I think it'll light a fire under his ass and I genuinely believe he will learn a lot from this experience.
I don't know if I would be too sure saying that. Outside of having a disaster of a season much like this one, I think he's back. And I don't mean an 8-8/9-7 finish, I mean like getting to that point with collapse losses and a circus going on in the lockerroom. As another poster elluded to in another thread, with the Super Bowl coming to Jersey the following season it doesn't make sense to start completely from scratch all over again.
Good job C - its OK to feel good about the accomplishment - especially at the start of the following season. but that has to wear off quickly cause the jets failed at the ultimate prize. 20-30 years ago it was different - if a team made it to the wild card or even the championship game u would expect a step wise progression into the superbowl - and if it didn't happen for whatever reason - u could still count on that team getting right back to where they were. these days its alot different with all the players moving around and the win now mentality. unfortunately i do not think our 8-8 season is a temporary blip on the screen. i would hope the people in charge realize that as well.
I believe he got an extension after his first or second year...actually I know he did but I'm not sure the terms were ever disclosed.
well RR is a very very good coordinator - lets face it our D only has/had 2 bonafide PB players in 09 and 10. look what the unit accomplished. i wonder if that would influence johnson to extend him as HC a year or 2. - even if next years results are less than inspiring.
Since the merger in 1970 the Jets have made 4 ASFC Championship game appearances, TWO came under Rex in just 3 seasons. 1970-2008 2 apps 2009-2011 2 apps 1960-2008 playoff wins: 8 2009-2011 playof wins: 4 road playoff wins 1960-2008: 3 2009-2011: 4 do you see where I am going? You can't get to a SB w/o first making a title game, he gave us 2 chances to get in and as we saw Sunday once in anything can happen. The difference btw the Giants winning and the Jets losing was we had a close call go against us(the fumble for TD) and they had a close call go for them(the Bradshaw fumble). Both plays could have gone either way, if they go the other way we likely make it last year and NYG likely loses this year. It's a big deal playing for the right to go to the SB especially for a franchise like the Jets that rarely made that game before.
Hey, the Bills were a dynasty only 20 years ago. The Carpies were a dynasty back in the Seventies. The Pats are a dynasty now. The Jets have never been a dynasty. Weren't the 2009 and 2010 playoff teams the first back-to-back playoffs teams the Jets had fielded in like 20 years?
No, we made it back to back in '01 and '02 so we have gone back to back twice since the last time the Bills made it once.
LMFAO that doesn't make a dynasty, you either win the SB or you're a loser. An AFC Championship is about as good as a $10 coupon to IHOP if you don't win the big game.
