I'm real late in the conversation, but just wanted to add something about the 2nd to last comment about Oakland playing for a bye week. If Herm had gotten the Jets prepared for the eventual 3-13 Chicago Bears team we played the week before, the Jets would have BEEN THE #2 SEED with a win in Oakland. We were playing for a bye and couldn't even come close against one of the worst teams in the NFL.
In 2001, the Jets lost to Buffalo the week before the Raiders game. Buffalo was 3-13. The Chicago loss was in 2002.
They weren't infallable down the stretch in 2001 or 2002, but they got the job done when they needed to. In 2002 that included winning at New England and vs a 12-3 Green Bay team to get in, the last two games of the season. Then they beat the great Peyton Manning and the Colts 41-0 in the playoffs. Like Herm or don't like Herm, that's nothing to shake a stick at. It's not getting him to Canton, but he's not a bumbling idiot, either.
While true(that we lost to a bad team, we lost toBuf in '01 and Chi in '02) at least we won to get in unlike 1997 when we lost to the 3-13 colts at home then lost to det in the finale or in 2000 when we lost to a mediocre Lions team at home then couldn't win in the last week. heck in '98 2 of our 4 losses came against a 4-12 SL team and 3 win Indy team- if we win those 2 I think we get homefield and we have our Championship. Losing to bad teams happen(look at NE last year losing to Miami 21-0) but good teams bounce back and we did that under Herm.
02 was a great year but the reality is Dave Wanstadt who had as good a record if not a better record than Herm with a much worse team got us into the playoffs when he decided to put the Dolphins playoff hopes in the hands of Jay Feidler instead of Ricky Williams who was eating the very mediocre 02 Pats up all day. Green Bay went on to get crushed by a 9 & 6 Atlanta team at home in the playoffs the following week. The win over the Colts was amazing, the high point of Herm's carreer in NY.
We had the better O, Miami had the better D. the teams were very similar in those days and in 5 years Wannstedt made the playoffs twice while Herm did it 3 times in 5 years and Herm took over a team that hadn't made the postseason in 3 years while Wannstedt took over a team that was in the div playoffs the year before.
Wanstadt took over a team that Dan Marino the best QB in the NFL for years just left that went 9 & 7, the same record that the Jets put up prior to Herm taking over the Jets but with both Testeverde and 1st round pick Pennington allready on the team. With Jay Feidler as his starter, the same Jay feidler who was undrafted and cut by the Eagles after drafting Boby Hoying in the third round to replace him, Wanstadt consistently put up as good or better regular seasons as Herm Edwards. Wanstadt also took his team just as far as Edwards and has a better post season record than Edwards. Wanstadt was fired and was widely thought to be a terrible in game coach. Sounds fimiliar.
You can split hairs all day about the other games, the fact is the Jets won those games convincingly when they had to. At New England? We were the only team to win up there for years. How about at Oakland the last game of 2001? Those are big wins in huge situations, there is no spin that can negate that fact. Once again, I'm not saying that puts Herm at the elite level of coaching, but it's certainly something to hang his hat on from his time here. A division title? One of two in 37 years of the AFC East? A lot better than a lot of our other coaches did in clutch games---including Parcells at Detroit in 1997 and Groh in 2000, as junc pointed out.
Herm was not all bad, he definatly had his moments. One of his strong points was the ability to create momentum. He did that in those games. I will give him credit for that. That (in part) is what is so frustrating about him. He can be strong in that aspect of his coaching but yet so weak in others.
Is it me or is your signature getting longer? The point is we won the games. Once again, I'm not sending him to the HOF for it, but credit where it's due, champ.
See someday U have to come to grasps with the fact that all means NOTHING if U do not win the CHAMPIONSHIP since that is why the regular season is played. Is that not correct?
If you really look at what Herm Edwards did, it was as close to nothing special as it gets. He inherited a very good team. He only got us into the playoffs 1 year cut and dry as division winners; the other 2 we needed help and backed in. While they count, they are nothing to boast about. He basically completely sucked at talent utilization and evaluation. He offered little, if anything to the draft, except the stench that wafted from his bung. No time management skills and was dependent on his Dick Curl to please the public. Taking the knee against Pittsburgh - douche. Allowed the team to completely disintegrate in 5 years of management. Lied to all of New York. Left the team in deplorable shape. Allowed horrible contract extensions to be signed. Played players when they were injured and should not have played while letting players who were acting like a little girl (Abraham, I dropped a nut, or I am a bit ill today) not play. Brought players back from injury too soon - in short put some players careers in jeopardy. I am telling you we were going no where with this guy except in the sewer. I am so friggin' glade he is gone, it is not even funny. I want us to kick his ass in December; it will destroy or horribly taint the season if this does not happen. I will then sit back and watch him slowly but surely mismanage the chiefs into the ground. I did vote favorably though.
marino's better days were long behind him and Fiedler played evry well for them AND they finally got a running game so that O could control the ball a little bit and help out the D which was very good(until january). jay Fielder was a good QB, he was a winner. he didn't put up flashy #s but he got the job done- he was the anti-Daunte Culpepper. herm got his team to the playoffs 3 in 5 years, wanny 2 in 5 years. herm inherited a team that missed the playoffs 2 straight years, Wanny inherited a team that made the playoffs 3 straight years. keep reaching.
Great post Winston. It is right on the money. Both were loved by the media. I was down here and the same way the smart fans know Herm sucked, the few (very few) knowledgible dolfans thought the same about dw. They inherited teams that were similarly talented and both just about destroyed them. I do think dw and R. Spielman did a more thorough job destroying their team with their skillzz than did Herm and Bradway. So that is a testament to how dumb they were and that our "great" management team was less so..........................
This vote reminds me of the vote between NYJunc and Twombles_62. Obviously Herm deserves a positive vote based on contribution, the question is why is the vote so one sided the other way?
H'mm this is a most interesting post U made since when I was posting anti Herm U were posting I Love Herm posts & fighting with me that I was way off base with my position of being anti Herm. Have U decided to try to live down ur pro Herm feelings & have now done a 180 & became a Herm basher?
