But that's what you hear all the time when teams lose a player or certain players. People write them off. Until the team actually adapts, the other guys step up and so on. Go look what the Panthers fans were saying when they lost Kelvin Benjamin for the year in camp. Their season was over, they didn't even think they could with one game. Let alone enough to possibly make the playoffs. And here they are, 14-1. So let's just stop using that logic. This team will be just fine without Fitz, Marshall, Cro, DD or Brick. Those aren't core guys. Our core guys are on defense, the front 4, Mauldin, and our DB's. The rest can be replaced. If Petty steps up and shows he's ready this offense could be even better next season. Doesn't mean if you lose Marshall the guy that takes over for him is going to catch 100 passes for 1300 yards, that's stupid. You don't have to do that. You split it up between a couple of other guys. Amaro, Enunwa, Powell, draft pick/FA pickup.
So if the Jets lose to Buffalo and back into the playoffs (due to a Pittsburgh loss to Cleveland) and go on to win the SB, will it still be a season of regret?
So what you're saying is that even though you expected 9 wins max, it's run the table in the PO or it's "another notch on the belt of futility". Yeah, that's not changing the standards at all.
My expectations before the season were somewhere between 7 and 9 wins. I did not see this team as a playoff team or a SB contender. And I saw Fitz as a weak armed journeyman who was not taking this team anywhere. I had my eye on the future, including finding a QB. My expectations have changed based on what I have seen the past five games. I see a potential 11 win team and a weak AFC playoff field. I was also wrong about Fitz. I admit it. He is a major reason they are where they are. That is why I want to see this team in the playoffs. Because they can win. This can be our year. But not if they lose today. If they lose today, I will not consider this season a success. I will consider it a significant disappointment. Forget the improvement in record or the wins over the Giants and Pats. The goal is to win a title and that goal is attainable, but you have to make the tournament.
In the beginning of the season you expected 9 wins max. Jets surpassed your expectations. By definition, it makes this a successful season, by YOUR definition.
I guess my point is too difficult for you to understand. I think this postseason presents a unique opportunity for this team the way it is playing now. The Jets can reach the SB with this team against this weak AFC field. But that won't happen if they miss the playoffs.
After Tex game at 5-5, you still had 9 as your number. Now after 5 games streak you re-defined success as making PO. Should Jets win, you'll redefine it again to include a must win first PO game; then again to include second, and again to get into the SB. Don't you see how you keep increasing your demands? Look, I agree with you that we should win this game. And yes, AFC looks ripe for the taking. But you can't define success based on changing expectations, that's just not how it works. This season is a success, Bowles and Co already got the cake. Now they are working on the icing. The icing is right there for the taking, but if they miss it, doesn't mean they lost the cake.
I can't agree with you here. I think he is a great player having a great season. That doesn't happen too often, at least for the Jets. Who would you replace him with that guarantees the same production, assuming a year-older Fitz throwing to him
Actually it's you who is missing my point. The season is success, making PO and reaching SB is "extra".
I don't know about the whole, "Jets may not get another chance like this for a while" talk but it would be most unfortunate to waste a year in which Fitz throws 29+ TDs, Marshall has a career year, Wilk has a career year and we don't have major injuries. So, I would agree with you to an extent here. The AFC is as wide open as I've ever seen it, anyone can be beat. We have to win today, no doubt. Losing would be devastating, but it wouldn't be the end of the world.
You can't replace Marshall 1 on 1, that's not what I was trying to say. And I don't think you need to replace him 1 on 1 or even get his productivity to win the same amount of games we did this season. The Panthers didn't replace Kelvin Benjamin 1 on 1 with anybody. Guys stepped up, they adapted, their offense works better now than it did before. If Enunwa starts outside next year, is he gonna catch 100 balls for 1300 yards? Of course not. But he doesn't need to. We have enough weapons, we don't need the best WR duo in football to win games. You spread the ball around, 700 for Enunwa maybe, 700 for Amaro, Powell, Devin, the new draft picks, FA pickups. But what are we arguing for anyway? Marshall isn't going anywhere. He'll be here for at least one more year, and probably even longer. So I don't see it as a "now or never" type situation. Next year this team (IMO) will be even more competitive, whether Fitz returns or not. Demario will be gone, we'll probably have a new LT or RT, maybe a new Guard, Devin and Amaro will be ready to roll, Marcus Williams at corner over Cro, Pryor will get better, so will the rest of the front 7. I don't get why people think if we don't win the superbowl this year we're the same old Jets. I don't see it. It took us half a year to even find our own identity, we have a lot of room to grow. Fitz wasn't even in camp this year. Our offseason was a mess from a preparation standpoint. A bunch of new guys, some guys were injured and so on, we had no identity last offseason, nobody knew what to expect, what the offense or defense would be like, the scheme, whether they fit or not. Next year will be different. I'm very excited about this team for '16.
I'm more than ok with this line of reasoning. I'd prefer the Jets to win today and I'll be very disappointed if they lose but 2015 is a success no matter how you look at it. The Jets have already hit the number of wins I thought most likely throughout the season. That 10 wins is no guarantee of the playoffs is just bad luck, not an indictment of the season.
I am not sure what happens in a game played on January 3rd 2016, has any effect on the Jets success in 2015.
First, we are talking. It's a process of exchanging ideas and opinions... You should try it sometimes Second, you need to pay attention to details. The monkeys in my avatar have mouth, ears and eyes open
