http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=smith_michael&id=2715902 By Michael Smith EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Jets' Week 10 win at Gillette Stadium was satisfying for New York owner Woody Johnson, but he didn't hire Eric Mangini from New England just to split a season series with the Patriots. No, Johnson hired Mangini specifically for this Sunday. Mangini's Jets earned their 10th victory of the season and a wild-card berth with a 23-3 win over the Raiders on Sunday. Now they get to put their copy of the Patriots' championship blueprint to the ultimate test -- in Foxborough, Mass., in the first round of the playoffs, a tournament New England (10-1 in the postseason under Bill Belichick) has owned the past five years. In Mangini, Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum saw the next Belichick. And when, much to Belichick's displeasure, the Jets wooed his defensive coordinator, this is exactly what they envisioned: high-stakes showdowns between mentor and prot?g?. It's just that few expected those showdowns to be staged so soon. There is no love lost between the two franchises -- the only thing that figures to be colder than the temperature for their third meeting is the shoulder they will give each other. The Jets won't be intimidated by the Patriots' playoff mystique. Not after a 17-14 win Nov. 12 that started a 6-2 second-half run. "We all knew that if we wanted to do something special this year, we had to win that game," Jets linebacker Eric Barton said. New York has been the little green team that could all season. It won six more games than it did in 2006, when injuries, especially at quarterback, sabotaged what some thought could be a Super Bowl season. Now that they're in the playoffs, the question becomes: Are the Jets capable of sticking around for a while? If you are among those who were surprised by the Jets' turnaround -- remember, they were a Doug Brien field goal from facing the Patriots in the AFC title game two years ago -- try not to make the same mistake twice and underestimate this gritty edition of Gang Green. "I think it's been overstated the lack of talent we had coming into this season because we were 4-12 last year," said guard Pete Kendall, one of the holdovers from the '04 squad. "We felt like if we got some other pieces and stayed healthy, we had a chance to be a decent team." For starters, in Chad Pennington, the Jets have an experienced (four playoff starts), efficient quarterback who, for the most part, takes care of the ball. He isn't in Tom Brady class as he was billed to be back in 2002, but he's cerebral and gets the job done. Pennington may not have the big arm, but New York has skill players in wideouts Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery and rookie running back Leon Washington who can produce big plays. The Jets' defense yielded the fewest points (102) in the league over the final eight games. During the regular season, New York's D allowed the fewest plays of 20 yards or longer (17). And the Jets, as they were during Herman Edwards' tenure, are among the NFL's least penalized teams. They don't make it easier for opponents by making it difficult on themselves. The Jets wait for the opposition to make the big mistake, and they're pretty good at being patient. That's why it could be a while before they are eliminated. It would be a mistake to underestimate the Jets for a second time in one season. The no-style, all-substance Jets are a reflection of their head coach, and thus a reflection of their familiar first-round opponent. Mangini, by the way, may be new at the top job, but he has coached in 13 playoff games with Belichick and Bill Parcells -- two guys who know a thing or two about how to win a game or two in the NFL's tournament. Mangini owns three Super Bowl rings as an assistant, so he's no stranger to playoff pressure. "I've learned more football from that man [Mangini] in one year than I've learned in a long time," said 13-year-veteran defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen, who won a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh last season. "He doesn't leave one stone unturned. He will rep it and rep it and rep it until we can freakin' do it. He works harder than anybody I've ever seen. You trust people like that. "He gets his point across and makes sure that everybody in the room knows his role, his responsibility and the game plan. We go through every situation, and when those situations arise, we know how to respond. We don't make many mental mistakes. If we've got 15 [mental mistakes in a game] on one side of the ball, that's way too many. In some places, that's average." Sound like another team we know? "It's a similarly built team," said Jets linebacker Matt Chatham, who was a member of three Super Bowl teams in New England. "The whole no-superstars thing. We play a gritty kind of game, biting, scratching, clawing, whatever it takes to win. We win on intangibles." All the Jets talked about after wrapping up a playoff berth was the hard work they've put into adapting to scheme changes on offense and defense, adopting Mangini's philosophy, and accepting the change in culture that came with his arrival. They're a bunch of grinders. They understand that if they are to make any noise in the coming weekends, it will correlate with what they do in the quiet of Weeb Ewbank Hall during the week. "Everybody takes it upon themselves to do the little things," Oelhoffen said of the Jets' success. Only in their 41-0 loss to Jacksonville in Week 5 did a game get away from the Jets. They were in every other loss. They lost by a touchdown in the first meeting with the Patriots and by a field goal to the then-unbeaten Colts. They played Chicago tough. They proved they can play with anybody, anywhere. They belong here. So don't be so quick to bet against them sticking around for a couple rounds. "We won 10 games in a hard division in a hard conference," Tannenbaum said. "It shows we're a good football team." Michael Smith is a senior writer for ESPN.com. VERY GOOD ARTICLE PRO JETS THAT I FEEL WE WILL ENJOY. I KNOW ITS MICHAEL SMITH BUT HE BOUNCES AROUND MORE THAN A HOOKER.
So much changes in the NFL from year to year. Yesterdays hero or genius is todays loser. With that said, what a strange trip its been. Rooting for the Jets now for 39 years, I cant remember a season quite like this one. Sure we have had expectations that were low in the past, only to surprise. This was different. You saw a kicker who was destroyed after last season..and almost run out of town after week 1. The Jets decided to go with 2 rookies on the offensive line..one heralded..and one respected. You saw a young receiver in Cotch that never really got a chance in the past, flourish. A QB that had back to back surgerys on not his knees or legs..but throwing shoulder comeback and play winning football. You saw a defensive player from a smaller school drafted high and bomb out for several years, only to become one of the best players on the defense this year in Thomas...at a different position. A little running back in Leon Washington who we obtained by allowing Herm Edwards go to KC. A draft class that might go down as the greatest one in Jet history...drafted by an ex ball boy and a salary cap guru. We all like to rip the media and rightfully so at times. For years we would hear "same ole Jets" and feel we were being picked on. It was deserved. When the media starting taking a good hard look at the new Jets, we called them a bunch of bandwagon'ers. Looking back on it now, they were'nt. They saw what many of us saw..even the darksiders. Something was different about this team. Something was different about the offseason..the preseason...the regular season. We heard about dissension during camp and preseason. We even had the Ann Landers of football, Kevin Mawae, chime in on how the Jets werent very happy with the chubby kid from New England. How this kid was able to pull off this season is beyond me. Im not talking about wins and losses. Im not even talking about making the playoffs. There is no question about the future. The Jets might go up to New England and get their heads handed to them..the only problem is there is nothing to back that up as a possibilty..not with the way this kid has handled this season. But if they do, it wont make a difference as far as Im concerned. The tide has begun to turn. Our future looks much brighter than any other AFC east team...by far. For one season, Eric Mangini was the most enjoyable Jet coach to watch on the sidelines in decades. That includes Parcells. Parcells had BB..Parcells had Charlie Weiss...the list goes on and on. This kid had nobody. When the camera showed him getting gatorade poured on him...it was probably one of the top ten Jet moments in my life. Not because what he accomplished was so special..but how he did it from beginning..to end.
Yep. He joins a very short list of coaches that I really have enjoyed watching. Walt Michaels (my favorite coach), Bill Parcells, Al Groh (I like throwbacks), Herm Edwards (in 2002 only, I loved what he did in 2002 before I realized it was a one trick show) and now Eric Mangini. I'm not gonna get ahead of myself here but I have the feeling I'm really going to enjoy watching Mangini a lot and that he's likely to go to the head of the list before too long.
Totally agree. Walt Michaels was my favorite up to this point..of course Parcells too. Parcells just had such an incredible supporting cast..and since that split, its been a much tougher road for him. BB had not only Brady but Charlie Weiss. This kid had nobody. During the entire season, it was just such a pleasure to watch him on the sidelines and after the game. For a team that has been second fiddle and will continue to be so in this area, let those other jokers get their headlines..the days of actually being second are over.
Our defense definitey doesn't get the respect they deserve. But it's ok. Win or lose next week I hope at the end of the game Mangini just smiles a Bill B. and walk of the field feeling victorious. To me we already won. WE ARE JETS!!!!
No, he had Brian Schottenheimer. Schottenheimer is a first-class offensive coordinator. He had Chad, who is the most ego-less QB I have ever seen and very smart. He had Laveranues Coles to give him the perfect nickname and then ultimately help him out greatly with player relations, even though that was probably not what Coles had in mind at the start. He had Bob Sutton, who overcame early personnel problems and tightened the Jet's defense up game by game with only the Buffalo blowout as a blemish in the second half. And of course he had Mike Westhoff. Nuff said there. Mangini did a great job this year, but he had a lot of help. And there's no reason to believe the cast won't be around next year. This is going to be the best offseason since 1998. Of course that's one of the challenges of being a Jet's fan...
I have not been a Jet fan nearly as long. In fact you have been a jet fan longer..........well no need to make fun of your age. All I wanted to say is that was an excellent post. In fact it was one of the better posts I have read here. I can not put a finger on it but from day 1 you could just tell this team is now on the right track. Since 1994 (NYR) I have not had as much joy watching a team in my life.
Now we can say he had the following. Young coaches usually have a guru..a guy with a past to confide in with a track record. This guy had nothing. Schott did a great job. Sutton came on strong. The only guy that he had with true success was Westhoff..who he decided to keep on from the previous regime. Thats pretty rare in the NFL. Some would say that was a no brainer. Probably was. Remember, Westhoff was a bit miffed at not getting serious consideraton for the HC job. He stayed on and had a great season.
Great article as usual by probably ESPN's best beatwriter, Michael Smith. Even though hes a Boston writer, the man has praised the Jets most of the year and knows his stuff.
That is not the first time he has said something like that. In fact a week or two ago he stated that he learned more this year then in all his other years combined. That is a powerful statement coming from a guy that spent 6 years on a Bill Cower coached team.
This is such a wonderful feeling. It's a feeling of having absolutely no fear about our next opponent. I believe that the New York Jets will defeat the New England Patriots.
It is. The fear is gone. Its tough to explain. The Jets could get rolled this week but it would be because of a talent gap (which I no longer believe to be true). I just wont look over at BB and have that same pit knowing that his team is more prepared than our team. There are two things he has over us right now..and thats playoff experience and Brady. There are no tricks up his sleeve that previous regimes would get caught with their you know what in their hands.
good night guys. Really enjoyed our discussions on all of threads...those early to bed early to rise posters have no idea what they missed. haha.
