True winning cures everything, but didn't we try the Patriots route, 2006- 2008, with not particularly good results?
But the thing is that having undisciplined players like that is a reflection on your head coach and leadership in the locker room which obviously will not get them anywhere. Look at the Saints for example. Do you think Drew Brees would've accepted a loss while breaking Dan Marino's record? Probably not. Does his leadership in the locker room make a difference? Yes it does. This is something that Sanchez appears to be lacking. Even other teams like the Patriots, Packers, Colts (Manning Colts), have been successful teams all with sturdy locker rooms and great leaders. Even look at the Cowboys last year. Wade Phillips was the type of coach that let his players do what they want. Then with Jason Garrett coming in with a new philosophy and doing the complete opposite of what Phillips did, the team did a complete 180 that season.
I think that McElroy should be cut from the team. He should be flagged 15 yards for "piling on". And given that he is a "nobody" the consequences for such action should be an outright release. String him along for awhile but certainly cut him prior to mini-camp. He offered no new insight or revelations with his comments that any Jet fan wasn't already painfully aware of. Yet, now we need to listen to the tape of this scrub's comments for another couple of days. If he's so "smart" per his Wonderlic scores he should know that the consequences of his actions in most NFL franchises would be a trip to the wood shed. Get him the hell out of here.
Getting cut from the Jets is McElroy's least of his worries, as I'm sure he will get picked up by a new team within a day or two. There are teams that actually value high character players, unlike the Jets
Guys, why do you continue to compare Sanchez to the elite QB's in the game? Brees, Brady, Rodgers and Peyton are the best of the best. It took time for them to get there. Sanchez is in his THIRD season. He's getting better each year - this year obviously the rate of improvement was significantly slower than we would like. It's going to take time, but he will get there.
Oh, I wasn't trying to compare him on a level of playing ability, I know that it will take a little time. I'm just saying that the Jets locker room needs people with their kind of leadership to help make the team successful (I guess it doesn't have to be specifically Mark Sanchez)
It is not "high character" to call out your teammates as "corrupt". You didn't see the Pats 3rd string QB doing that when Moss was still playing the diva role in NE. If McElroy were to get cut, he would get an invite somewhere reflective of his pedigree, that of a 7th round draftee, who has done nothing so far with which enhance such status.
You are definitely correct that we need big time leadership in that locker room. Especially after losing so many of our leaders the last few years. I would love Mark to step up and become more vocal, but I think that's something that will happen as he gets more experience.
Good point but in fairness to the 3rd string scrub in NE, they know full well a Diva who doesn't produce is going to be cut just as quickly as a scrub QB who opens his mouth to the press.
Maybe I didn't convey my first point clearly enough, so I'll give it another whirl. EVERY locker room has several undisciplined, selfish, prim a-dona players; for the most part, we just don't hear about them because most players know better than to run their mouths and air the team's dirty laundry to the public the way McElroy did. Since these players exist on virtually every team, then does that mean all of these other teams lack leadership and reflect poorly on their HC's? Of course not. I get what you're thinking, but this is not a good example -- Drew Brees is 30-something years old, has been in the NFL for a long time, and therefore has cultivated his leadership skills to the point that he can now command a locker room/team and will his team to overcome internal adversity. I would love for Sanchez to have that capability, and I think he has that type of toughness and moxie; but to expect that from him right now at this early stage in his young career is a bit unrealistic. There are other players who can exert their leadership, and I'm sure they do (again, we don't hear about EVERYTHING that occurs in the locker room). Meh... the Cowboys started 1-7 last year, then fired Wade Phillips; they finished 6-10 under Jason Garrett, and then this year went 8-8 under Garrett. Not exactly a 180 made of fire. HCs run the team, and the team's performance is a reflection of the HC. But if we are to think that any individual players' attitudes (e.g. malcontents, cancers, etc) are a direct reflection of the HC, then every HC in the NFL has no control of their team.
If you already have a QB with no vertical passing game, why not go with one who would complete 65% of his passes instead one who completes 53%?
The deep ball Sanchez throws is quite good enough. The time he has to throw them, not quite good enough.
I have to laugh at those who criticize McElroy's intelligence. Put yourself in his shoes. What he did imo has no downside. If any positive benefit comes from his speaking out, the Jets next year will have a more pleasant lockerroom and more beneficial team spirit, both of which are quite evidently a problem right now. This in turn assumes, as we have every reason to believe, that what McElroy has described is an accurate picture of the Jets this past season. And if there is any such improvement, that will redound to the benefit of players who want the team to play like more of a team, which we can safely assume describes McElroy. McElroy also raises his own visibility, gets people thinking of him, and reminds them there's already another Qb on the Jet roster besides over the hill Brunell and the mistake prone can't read defenses Sanchez. And if he gets cut, think about what that means. The Jet organization reveals itself as more concerned about and opposed to players who want others to play more together as a team than it is about selfish players destructive toward team spirit - who here would want to stay in an organization like that? McElroy will get a chance elsewhere if he's cut. I see no downside for him from that. And overall I can't help thinking this move by him makes it at least somewhat more likely he gets a shot to show he should replace Sanchez as the starter. I have to conclude that those here who say McElroy is not smart, did something stupid, are totally misreading the situation. One other point is those here who ask why a seventh rounder who spent the season on IR has the right to in effect tell the truth are obviously missing that no veteran or however you define key or more important player has so far spoken out. In other words I doubt McElroy would have said a word if someone else fitting that criterion had already said something. What I think this criticism against McElroy really amounts to is saying that NO ONE should be saying what he said, and that I disagree with.
Being a "Leader", and the ability to call out your teammates performance holds alot more water when you're one of the best at your position in the NFL. The QBs of the teams you listed are either future or potential HOF. Not a level comparison with Sanchez, who is young AND playing poorly this season. It's hard to call out people when you're playing like shit, and I'm sure he feels that way, but I do agree on the premise that he needs to step up in this dept., and change his demeanor though and it may help bring back the swagger he had. Guys like Revis and Mangold need to step up in the leader position, as they're respected League-wide at their positions but who knows if it's in their DNA.
The whole problem could be just 2 or 3 players, but as others have pointed out, the lack of discipline permeates everything, from players running their mouths to sloppy play on the field. Rex better tone himself down and start kicking asses and taking names, or this is going to go to complete shit and quickly.
...actually, I think for that to happen, he not only will need more experience, but a better command for his job. Nobody wants to follow someone that they think is inept.
Good to get some insight from a bonafide scrub to see what was really going on in that locker room. What a mess, its time to clean house.
