To date, my position on the 2006 Jets has been that I am encouraged by the coaching staff/front office and that the playoffs are an irrelevant to measuring the success of the season. That was then?this is now. The Jets are among 5 teams (all with equal records) vying for 2 playoff spots. While I harbor no illusions that this team could win the Super Bowl, I feel that given where they are now, the measuring stick for Mangini?s Jets is now how they perform in the last 4 games. If you?ve been following this team over the last 10 years, you know that the Jets have been here before: a few games left and the playoffs within their grasp. The song is hauntingly familiar. And with the exception of 1998, the Jets stumbled at some point down the stretch (playoffs or not). 1997: The 8-4 Jets lose to Buffalo (5-7) in week 14, Indy (1-11) in week 15 before the dagger in week 17 at the Lions. 2000: The 9-4 Jets lose their final 3 to Oakland, Detroit, and Baltimore. 2001: The 9-5 Jets lose in week 16 at home to the Bills (2-12)?a miraculous kick in week 17 saves the Jets season. 2002: The 7-6 Jets lose in week 15 to the Bears (3-10) before some things in the division break the Jets way in the final 2 weeks. 2004: The 9-3 Jets lose 3 of their last 4 and back into the playoffs. The Jets want to make us believers? Fine?let?s see them kick the living crap out of their last 4 opponents. If they lose 2 or more, it is Same Old Jets as far as I am concerned. If they win 3 out of 4, as I expect them to do, I think this season will have been a great step in the right direction?playoffs or not. However, Mangini likes to talk about ?culture change?. OK Eric, beat these last 4 teams and kick the door to the playoffs in. Let the world know that these are not the Same Old Jets. Make us the last team anyone wants to face in round one of the playoffs. We?ve been down this road before. The corpses of Vinny Testaverde, Leon Johnson, Al Groh and Paul Hackett remain as road kill. Can we avoid the speed bumps of the past and race to the finish line? We?ll find out over the next four weeks. The measuring stick of respectability no longer applies. The stakes have changed. The real season is just beginning now?lets see how good we really are. DbJ
While I harbor no illusions that this team could win the Super Bowl, I feel that given where they are now, the measuring stick for Mangini’s Jets is now how they perform in the last 4 games. I could not disagree more. We already have more wins than most people forecasted. This year has been a pleasant surprise to say the least. Report card for Mangini and his staff win lose or draw from here till the end of the season - A.
With all due respect to you as a poster whose opinion I value, losing two or more will not be the Same Old Jets for me. Mangini has already shown tremendous improvement over what we had with Herm. I think it's unrealistic to "expect" them to win the next 3-4, as if this is now the next minimal standard. It's unfair to have moved the goal post, in other words. We've made it to 7-5 and now, all of a sudden, we should "expect them" to win the next 3-4? The reason for this is simple and it's easy to fall into this trap, but this is NY. In NY, everyone is impatient with nannoseconds let alone one, entire football season. Eric Mangini has brought us light-years ahead of where I thought we'd be and putting this kind of playoff onus and expectation on him is unfair. A good coach he is, but a Harry Houdini he's not. I'll be content this year to finish out playing really well. I want to continue seeing player development and maturation. I also want to see another good draft and another terrrific off-season of preparation and then I'll put more on Mangini's shoulders. For now, I'm satisfied with what he's done and no matter what happens for the rest of the year, these are not the "Same Old Jets."
Let me state first and foremost that I could not be happier with the season so far. I believe regardless of how we finish, the team is in good hands. I overstate my point a little with the SOJ comment, but what I am really trying to get to is that once you have gotten to the point we are at now, it is time to make a statement. The success of the past 12 weeks has been fantastic. Now we stand at 7-5 with 4 winable games before us. The Jets of the Herm Edwards years would lose this week to Buffalo (I know it). Mangini has already passed the first-year coach test, but I am sure EM himself will be pissed beyond belief with a 2-2 conclusion. The NFL isn't about how you start, it is about how you finish. When the playoffs are in your reach, you've got to grab it...regardless of how many years experience you have. I know this team is headed in the right direction, but given where we are today, no one should be happy with anything less than 10-6. Again, I recognize this is not a team that will go deep in the playoffs. So I don't think getting into the playoffs means anything from that standpoint. But building for the future is important. The draft/free agency are only part of how you build a team...the rest is how you perform on the field. I just think the gain for the future will be so much greater if they can close out the season right.
I agree with alot of what you're saying DBJ but I believe these last 4 games are the turning point/swan song in the Pennington era, rather then the Mangini one. From the progression I've seen so far this season I'm confident that the team will be prepared and ready to play these last 4 games, and if they stumble it will be more of a signal that Pennington is done here rather then give me doubts about Mangini.
I share your optimism and probably came down too hard on you for "expecting" 3-4, because I do too! The reason is, I think we can do it! I can see 10-6. In fact, in another post with Angry, I mentioned I remember predicting in a poll post that the Jets would finish 9-7 or 10-6 this year. I felt we GREATLY underachieved last year. Coaching was a major contribution, but the overwhelming injuries to our starters were ridiculous. And we had talent, it had just never been utilized well and developed. Then the draft. It was outstanding... couldn't have asked for more. So all that negativety has all changed now... especially the coaching deficiencies... almost a magical reversal and a mirror image of what we were in that department. Gone are the expensive (John Abraham and Ty Law) contracts for guys who feel like playing only when it suits them, locked in a position forever with no accountability, and in are the developing rookies and an accountability by Mangini that keeps them on their toes from one game to the next. So yeah, we need to finish out 3-4 or 4-4 and tht will put the NFL on notice that we're not the SOJ.
I think what will be interesting to see is how the Jets play when the expectations are high. Going by records alone, we should win these games. Mangini has done a great job having the team focus on being the underdog; can they win when they are favored? Do they get too content with what they've achieved? Yesterday's game was a good sign, I will say. I haven't trolled every thread on this board, but that three and out stand after the Schlegel miscue on the onsides kick to me was more defining than anything. The Barrett pass defense on 2nd or 3rd down in that series was a stake in the ground. They stopped the bleeding (be it a trickle) and never looked back. That's the mindset and focus good teams need. Look, Green Bay is a terrible team. But that small battle within the war gave me a reason to start believing.
YOW! This is a stunning statement but I'm afraid I have to agree with it. We've talked of Pennington many times in the past. I have not changed my opinion of Penny since September. I still see him as a stop-gap, interim QB. I do not see Penny taking us to the promised land. And it has more to do with the decisions he makes on the field as opposed to his lack of arm strength. Yesterday's performance was a romp throught he daisies. AJ Hawk aside, that Packer DEF is a miserable bunch. I love Penny and what he's done for this team, but we won't make the next level until we have a legitimate rinning attack and a QB who can get the ball out there with authority, accuracy AND zip.
To be fair, we lost our top two QBs at once and Curtis didn't finish the season. That's too much of a hit in one area, an important area. Maybe we could have done better than 4-12, but not much. That's why I didn't understand why people thought we'd be so bad this year, based on what? Injuries from last year? The whole thing was a giant unknown X-factor, from the new coaching staff to Chad coming back or who the QB would be, to RB, right on down. Can't say I'd be too surprised no matter what happened this year, although this has been almost a best-case scenario so far.
:up: Personally, I'm still in the game by game mood. I'm keeping a wary eye on the others in the playoff hunt, hoping that we can make that far. But, like I said, game by game for now. I've been a fan too long to get real worked up, I call it whipped puppy syndrome. :sad:
What have you seen out of Pennington that makes you think he is capable of taking the Jets to the next level?
In a way, it's almost unfortunate that we have playoff possibilities. From the perspective of being able to get a real good look at Clemens, I would love to see him in several of the last 4 games. I've been hoping for some Garbage Time but the closer we get to the possibility of a Wild Card, the less the chance of seeing him.
I agree his arm strength blows but he's a hell of a lot smarter with regards to decision making than a rookie. I mostly agree with all your posts but my POV is its Chads team this year and he's winning so why even think of a change. We're in the playoff hunt, changing a QB would be disaster, just look at Denver - I bet you they continue to fall, which is good for us .
Well, as I said the next 4 games will tell the story of Chads future with us. So I'm talking about next season. I think the only way Clemens sees any meaningful action is if the Jets lose the next 2 or 2 out of 3 games, which I don't think will happen. I happen to think Denver made the right call, regardless of how it looks now, just as Dallas did earlier in the year. When you get to the point of "we're not going anywhere with this guy" you've got to make the change. Period. The Bears have yet to learn this lesson.
If we stay healthy I agree with DBJ. Anything less than 3-1 will be a dissapointment. It will show that this team will never change. Never take advantage of the opportunities as they present themselves. Here's our chance to make the playoffs. Regardless of how the playoffs turn out, getting there and showing that we have what it takes to get the job done is what is at stake here. The young guys will learn what it takes, and carry over to next year and the year after that and the year after that. We need to get it done and get into the playoffs!
For starters a division title and a couple playoff wins, including one on the road. Of course the team has to do it, but Chad lead the way. When has he ever been healthy and not taken us to the playoffs? Never. I don't see why you're dying to get rid of him so bad.
Listen to yourselves. Making the playoffs is everything, it's the only way to the Super Bowl. Period. If you don't get there you have no chance. I don't want to lose for any reason and play out the string, ever. Geez.
