Coming into this season we had a huge number of question marks related to the Jets on both sides of the ball and the sidelines. What the season produced for us was an enormous number of positive answers, which is why the Jets won 10 games. Here are the questions I had going into the season and how they were answered: 1. Was Eric Mangini up to the task of running an NFL team or did he need more seasoning, potentially causing the Jets to train somebody else's coach of the future? Answer: Yes. Mangini is not only up to the task of running an NFL team but he looks to be a superior coach in the Madden/Parcells/Shula mold. He appears to be ahead of Belichik at the same age, given that Belichik got run out of town on his first assignment in Cleveland. This may be why Belichik is so nervous about competing with him. 2. Did the Jets have an NFL caliber QB they could depend on? Answer: Yes. Chad Pennington played 16 games for the first time in his NFL career and did not miss any significant playing time in those games. He played well enough to help the Jets win 10 games which handily answered the NFL caliber part of the equation. 3. Did the Jets have a suitable replacement for Curtis Martin in the event he was going to retire? Answer: Yes. The Jet's runningback by committee rushed 395 times for 1,394 yards and 15 TD's. They fumbled just twice and lost only one of them. Leon Washington looks like he's going to be around for awhile, maybe as a feature back and maybe as a 3rd down/change-of-pace back. Cedric Houston may also have a role with the team moving forward. 4. Did the Jets have enough talent on defense to make a 3-4 work? Answer: Yes. The Jet's 3-4 was working fairly well by the end of the season. There is room for improvement, but there was no defensive collapse evident in the switch from the 4-3 to the 3-4 and that in and of itself is very positive. For the record, the 2004 Jets allowed 261 points in their march to a 10-6 record and the divisional round of the playoffs. This year's team allowed two points a game more, which is an amazing accomplishment for a team with a new scheme and many players playing in different roles than they were used to playing. We all thought the 2004 defense was very good. In that light this year's effort has to be considered good at least. 5. Would the Jet's pass rush hold up with John Abraham no longer in the picture? Answer: Not really. The Jets only had two fewer sacks this year (35) than in 2004, however they had to bring more people than you'd like to accomplish that, which left some holes in the defense down the field and particularly in the gaps between the linebacks and the secondary. The Jets got burned repeatedly this year by lesser receivers who exploited those gaps. The Jets need to find a strong pass-rushing defensive end or linebacker this year. Keeping Abraham would not have resolved the problem this year because he doesn't have the size to play end in a 3-4. They'd have had to sit Bryan Thomas to get Abraham in the line-up and Thomas was the best of the Jet's pass rushers this year. 6. Would Mangini play young players and allow their talent to develop, young talent being a resource that Herm Edwards allowed to languish over his tenure? Answer: Yes. Jerrico Cotchery, Leon Washington, Brad Smith, Cedric Houston, Eric Smith, Drew Coleman and of course the blue chippers in D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold. That's a lot of young talent that got a lot of experience this year. Mangini also showed a very open mind in allowing people to slot in and make contributions even if they had a track record that was not that strong. We got a very solid Bryan Thomas season out of nowhere because Mangini gave him a fresh shot at being good. I'm not a Victor Hobson fan at all, but he showed more under Mangini than he had under Herm. 7. Could Mangini control the media relationship well enough to keep the Jets from turning into a soap opera as they have at some point or another under every previous Jet's coach except for Al Groh? Answer: Well season one is down and I didn't see the tabloids selling much soap on the Jet's personal affairs. If he makes it through next season without a SERBY ATTACK then he's probably got it down. (And you all know what I mean by a SERBY ATTACK.) 8. Would the Jets be fun to watch? Answer: YES! This was my most enjoyable season since 1998 and one of my favorite of all time. It was the first time since 1981 that I felt like I was watching the Jet's coach of the next decade (forget I said that.) And I'll admit I watched Belichik from 97-99 and wondered how good the Jets would be when he got the team. All things considered we got positive feedback this year on everything but the pass rush. That's what I'd call a helluva rebuilding year. And yes, I smell a Super Bowl soon. Might be next year or 2011 but it'll be a good ride along the way.
Cut nose. Richard Todd to Mike Augustyniak as the RB was being interviewed by Steve Serby: "You don't have to talk to that fu----. Don't you know he roots against us?" After a few verbal exchanges between Todd and Serby, the QB grabbed Serby and pushed him into Bobby Jones' locker.
3 and 4 are wayyyyyyyy off...but a nice post nonetheless....did they have a suitable replacement for curtis???? The answer is a gigantic no. The fact is the Jets lack of a running attack cost them dearly today, and must be improved in the offseason...as far as 4 goes, thats an even bigger no. We cannot stop the run at all. period
im not worried at all about the jets... The superbowl is so close. Im saying this after a 4-12 season before this. We are soooo close.
The reason is good coaching, we need to remember that this was the 3rd different offensive scheme for Chad in 3 years, a different defensive strategy, a half dismantled team with a completed dismantled offensive line and a complete different coaching staff. I really believe that if Mangini and his staff were coaching the Bengals they would be 16-0 or something near, I am glad that we have these guys cause this is what most NFL teams lack of and this was a great coaching strategy, first the coaches adapted to the guys and it weaknesses and then the guys to the coaches unlike other teams.
The Jets had a great season, better than any Jet fan could have hoped for. To think the SB is within sniffing distance next year,IMO, is wrong. The Jets had one of the most injury free seasons in NFL history, you can't expect that two years in a row. The Patriots outclassed the Jets today. The Jets' effort was exemplary, equal to or even better than that of the Pats. Superior talent is what won the game for the Pats today, and IMO the Pats are not legitimate contenders for the SB this year. They have too many holes in the LB corps and the D backfield. I've also read that the Jets schedule next year is 40% more difficult than this years. What I see happening next year is the NY media and fans putting too much pressure to succeed on this young coaching staff and its young stars in the making. I see them melting under the pressure like the Dolphins did this year and taking a step back. True Jets fans should hope for a few more good drafts, some nice FA additions and a little time for the coaching staff to mature. Then they will be true SB contenders. Congrats on a great season, Sundays had to have been a lot of fun for you this season. Looking forward to ALL the AFC East games next year. AND, stay away from Assante this off season.
Maybe not the Super Bowl, but they definitely will be major players in the AFC East next year. If they have a good draft again and sign a few free agents to fill some key holes, and with all of their talent this year developing, they will be in great shape for the next few years, including next year. Also, you can't really use the schedule getting tougher as an argument because you just don't know what teams will be anymore from year-to-year. I think this is a Jet team that will contend for many years to come.
Well... I would but... I think that you need to speak with the men in the Front Office, we cant help you here sorry
could be true, but as a coaching staff u have to step up for your players, whining about how a qb injury makes u lose ur season is completely unacceptable, see the Eagles this year, they lost McNabb and they are playing even better with Garcia, its all about coaching, your team did that when Bledsoe went down, they got a new QB, they adjusted their gameplan to his weaknesses and strenghts and it worked out well, probably if Brady wouldn't be on your team he wouldnt have been great as he is.
not to be downer but everyone else has gotten more cash because the salary cap has been raised. The PATs get 2 first rounders. Also, we dont have a franchise QB like Pats do. If you have a Manning or Brady you can make up for some of your defeciencies. Our defensive line really needs an overhaul as does a few of our lBs. Although Chad is a good QB his talent level is not great enough to offset all our weeknesses. And lets face it he had a nice year, not great 17 interceptions 17 tds, not that impressive.
I hope the Hank Poteat experiment is officially over. Eric Barton is okay. But we need a run-stuffing ILB like Urlacher, someone who can shed blockers and draw double-teams.
What killed the Dolphins last year was that Saban double-visioned Culpepper into a good QB. They'd have won 9 games easy if he just drafted a kid and brought in a journeyman for the season.
Lets go 20007 sstupify..stupify...disturbin creations...Ssssssssstupify... stupify dog all me peupe=le i the right ring what all my peope in the .... :jets: stupify...stupify...stupify...an dony deny me...and dont dney me...//////
Ummmm we have him and is name is Vilma! I dont think he is a good fit for the 3-4 but I guess we will see next year. He went from 190 tackles last year to 114. A man of his talent doesnt drop that much in production unless there is an issue with the scheme. I understand other people got more tackles (Rhodes, Robertson ect) but I still think the 4-3 is best for this team. Our D line should be Thomas, Robertson, Sign a FA or draft best available DT, Ellis. Then go Hobson, Vilma, Barton (or sign a OLB). Steal Samuel away from the Pats and our D is good to go
Heh, I love this stuff. Who even knows which teams will be good next year? If you split the 12 playoff teams this year into 6 with the hardest schedules and 6 with the easiest, the Jets are in the 'hardest' category.
