It's funny how things work out sometimes, isn't it?
About a month ago, the Jets were riding a five-game winning streak that included victories over the New England Patriots and the then undefeated Tennessee Titans. The offense was clicking, the run defense was solid and at 8-3, the postseason seemed a certainty.
Those were the days.
It all came crashing down on the final day in November when the Denver Broncos punched the Jets in the face at the Meadowlands.
They have yet to recover.
The Buffalo Bills handed the Green and White a gift a few weeks ago, but it hasn't propelled the team. In fact, that win almost feels like a last gasp from a squad that's about to go down in flames.
There's been a lot of talk about this being the worst collapse in Jets history (if the team fails to make the playoffs, that is). I don't know. I haven't been watching the Jets since their inception, but I've been watching for a while. I remember parts of the '82 and '83 seasons, but the first full year that I remember is 1984. Gang Green raced out to a 6-2 start, but finished the season a disappointing 7-9.
Maybe I should have cut my loses then.
I'll list a few more heartbreaking seasons, in case you're not too familiar.
1993 -- The Jets are 8-5 and in line for a playoff berth, but lose their final three games to finish 8-8 and miss the postseason. Head coach Bruce Coslet is fired shortly afterward.
1997 -- Bill Parcells is in his first season as Jets Czar and guides the Green and White to an 8-4 start after the team finished the 1996 season at 1-15. But the Jets lose three of their final four, including losses to the 6-10 Bills and 3-13 Indianapolis Colts, to miss the playoffs.
2000 -- With Al Groh at the controls, the Jets jump out to a 6-1 record and eventually make it to 9-4. However, the Gotham Green drop their final three games and fail to reach the playoffs. Groh bolts for the head coaching job at Virginia a week later.
And I'm not even going to get into the 1986 season, when the Jets started 10-1, dropped their final five, backed into the playoffs, beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild card round, held a 20-10 lead against the Cleveland Browns with a little over four minutes to go in the divisional round, only to fall 23-20 in double overtime. Or the 2004 second-round playoff debacle in Pittsburgh when Doug Brien missed two field goals in the game's final two minutes as the Steelers came back to beat the Jets 20-17 in overtime.
As you can see, there's some pretty stiff competition for greatest-collapse-ever in Jets history.
Anyway, things look bleak and the history is there, but the Jets still have a fighting chance to make things right Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Sure, the Fish have won four in a row, but the Chiefs gave them a run for their money last week before falling 38-31 in Kansas City. The Jets have also beaten the Dolphins in 17 of their past 21 meetings.
I'm sure you know the scenarios for the Green Guys to make the playoffs, but I'll list them again for the record.
WIN AND a New England Patriots loss gives the Jets AFC East
WIN AND a Baltimore Ravens loss gives the Jets a wild card spot
The Pats play at 1:00, so the Jets (and the fans) should know if they have a chance at the division by kickoff. The Ravens and Jets will play at the same time.
The mood in Jets Land has been anything less than optimistic and the cries for Eric Mangini's head have been intensifying. Will an inspired win against the Fins be good enough to save Mangini's job even if things don't break the Jets' way? I don't see how one well-played victory can make up for a month of shoddy play, but I have a feeling Mangini will be back on the sidelines even if the Jets miss the playoffs. I think defensive coordinator Bob Sutton will be out next year win or lose on Sunday and Brian Schottenheimer may also be on the hot seat. But Mangini has one year remaining on his contract and I believe Woody Johnson will keep him around. Mangini hasn't exactly shined during this final month and I'm sure fans won't be pleased, but that's the way I see things shaping up.
Does Mangini deserve to stay on around? Season 1 was terrific. Season 2 was a disaster. And Season 3 is shaping up to be a colossal disappointment. Still, Mangini is a young coach and growing pains are part of the job. Sounds like an excuse and Mangini has made moves during this season that have made no sense, but sometimes a team can drop the ax prematurely. Bill Belichick wasn't a success in his first coaching gig in Cleveland. That might not be the best example since Belichick had more experience as a defensive coordinator, but you get the gist (I hope). Anyway, I think Mangini stays.
And finally, Sunday will mark Chad Pennington's first visit to the Meadowlands in a uniform other than the Green and White. Will the emotions get the better of Pennington?
He doesn't think so:
"The emotional part, that happened in the first game. And I'm glad that it did
happen in the first game. Now it's strictly business, trying to win a football
game. It just so happens to be against my former team.
"Will there be
some emotions? Sure. You're going back to the Meadowlands where I played eight
years. But I just don't think it'll be to the magnitude that it was in the
season-opener when the situation was so fresh and so new."
It will be interesting to see how the fans react to No. 10 now that he's in orange and aqua. I think the home crowd would have cheered Pennington if the Jets were in the playoffs. It would have been one of those hypocritical ovations that only sports fans can give. Then again, I could see the fans cheering Pennington in a sort of sarcastic way that only Jet fans can deliver if the Dolphins (and Pennington) get off to a hot start. In any event, if you're a Jets fan and you cheer for Pennington on Sunday, you are not a Jets fan. I can understand your anger and frustration, but you never, ever root against your team. Ever.
Here's a
Dolpfan's quick take on things.
Oh, and one quick note for all the doom sayers. The Jets were in a similar position in 2002. Gang Green needed the Pats to beat the Dolphins on the final game of the season to have a shot at the postseason. The Fish blew a 24-13 fourth-quarter lead and eventually succumbed to the Pats 27-24 in overtime. The Jets, fueled with unexpected and welcome news, went out and pounded the Green Bay Packers 42-17 at the Meadowlands to capture the AFC East.
The quarterbacks that day in East Rutherford? Chad Pennington for the Jets and Brett Favre for the Packers.
Funny, isn't it?
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