Herm, Secrets and Wrapping it Up (Green Pinstripes)

I usually don't like goodbyes, but the way things have turned out for the New York Jets this year, I'm ready to say:

Ciao, arrivederci and so long to the 2007 NFL season!!

However, there's one more game left on the docket and even though it means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things, Gang Green will be forced to play on Sunday at the Meadowlands. And that contest will pit the Jets against the Kansas City Chiefs and former head coach Herman Edwards.

You all remember Herm, right? The man in charge of the Green and White from 2001 to 2005? Edwards led the Jets to the playoffs three times during his tenure and was a field goal away from bringing the Jets to the AFC Championship Game during the 2004 season. It wasn't all peaches and cream for Herm during his stay in the Big Apple (or New Jersey to be accurate) and his departure left some bad feelings on both sides, but I liked having Edwards on the sidelines. Oh sure, his clock management skills were poor (even after he hired Dick Curl to help him with the in-game situations), he kept offensive coordinator Paul "Buddy" Hackett around way too long and his offensive philosophy was extremely conservative, but his disciplined approach turned the Jets into one of the least penalized teams in the league, he was a tremendous motivator and his players were always willing to run through a wall for him.

Edwards guided the Chiefs to the playoffs last year, but this season has been a nightmare for Herm and the Arrowhead faithful. Kansas City has had problems along the offensive line, a quarterback situation that is still in flux and a running game that has been disappointing. Sound familiar?

It may be a down year for the Chiefs, but Herm will have his guys ready to play on Sunday.

Speaking of ready to play, it looks like Eric Mangini is keeping the identity of the Jets starting quarterback for the season finale under lock and key. Kellen Clemens is officially listed as questionable for Sunday and although it appears that Mangini is leaning toward going with the second-year pro, he has yet to name him as the starter. Why all the cloak and dagger? Who knows? Herman Edwards was considered a "player's coach" during his stay with the Jets and while that can sometimes be interpreted as negative, the players always respected and played hard for him. Gang Green has played hard for Mangini as well this year (especially since the 2007 season ended during the middle of October for all intents and purposes), but I'm not sure if it's because of Mangini or because of the makeup of the veteran players on the Jets.

Consider last week's game in Tennessee when punter Ben Graham was informed just hours before kickoff that he was being benched for rookie Jeremy Kapinos. And it wasn't Mangini who broke the news, but special teams coach Mike Westhoff. True, it's only the punter, but treating guys like that can have a detrimental impact on the other players in the locker room.

The Jets also cut two players, defensive end Eric Hicks and offensive lineman Adrian Jones, less than two weeks ago. Jones was a four-year backup with no real future with the team, but the Gotham Green aren't exactly stacked on the offensive line and it seemed odd that they would let go of a guy that actually had some playing experience in order to get rookie offensive linemen Robert Turner and Clint Oldenberg on the roster this late in the season. Coincidentally enough, Jones was claimed by the Chiefs a day after being released.

Hicks was one of many defensive lineman the Jets picked up in the off-season. He didn't make a real impact on defense and was inactive for three of the past five games, but he was a 10-year pro and spent the first nine in Kansas City. Why would the Jets, with only two games remaining on the schedule, waive a player with that much experience in the league? Especially since he would be going against his former team on the last day of the season? I realize the NFL is a cut-throat business, but the timing and way these personnel moves were handled seems silly to me.

Anyway, here's a Chiefs' fan's view of the final game of the season.

And finally, Sunday's game was originally scheduled to air at 8:15 in the p.m., but was mercifully switched to a 4:15 p.m. start. I would be surprised if the Meadowlands was half-full on Sunday, but I would have been downright shocked if there were more than 10,000 people in attendance if the "powers that be" kept the later start time. Still, if you're a fan and you have tickets to Sunday's tilt, take a ride and catch the game. It may be the last time you'll be able to see players like Chad Pennington, Victor Hobson, Andre Dyson, Erik Coleman, Anthony Clement, Adrien Clarke, Justin McCareins, Ben Graham and Sean Ryan suit up in the Green and White.

On second thought, maybe you'll just want to stay home and watch the game on TV. Leave a comment