A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

 
A Jets Disgrace

Even after one of the worst coaching performances in sports history, the media continues its love affair with Jets head coach Herm Edwards.

Even Mike Vaccaro, who in today's New York Post blames the Jets coaches for yesterday's meltdown, puts the blame on offensive coordinator Paul Hackett. Of Edwards, he writes: "Edwards is still at that stage of his career where he is only as good as the men around him."

Please. Edwards is in his fourth year as an NFL coach. Pete Caroll, now the head coach at USC, was fired after just one year as Jets head coach in 1994. Just how long does Edwards get a pass for the incompetence of his assistants - who he handpicked - and for his awful game management.

Of course, Hackett continues to be a disaster. The Jets dominated the first half, having no difficulty moving the ball against a Baltimore Ravens defense that seemed mighty overrated.

Hackett's decision to have Lamont Jordan throw an option pass with the Jets up 14-0 and holding the ball at the Baltimore 17 was one of the worst in football history. But while it turned the momentum in Baltimore's favor, it did not alone cost the Jets the game.

What did cost the game is that after that interception, instead of continuing their successful game plan, Hackett reverted to his ultra-conservative, predictable offense. Almost every down was a run. Quincy Carter was only allowed to pass in obvious passing situations, so the Ravens made sure to blitz him every time. And for some reason, Hackett kept Carter in the pocket, even though Carter is a mobile quarterback who can improvise well while rolling out.

Only when Baltimore took a 17-14 lead did the Jets open up their offense, for most of one drive. After moving the ball to the Ravens 17 at the two minute warning, the Jets had all three of their time-outs. While a winning touchdown was not guaranteed, there was no reason to think that the Jets could possibly run out of time. Surely they would have a chance to win it.

Somehow they did run out of time, using the full play clock almost every play. With 55 seconds left, the Jets had first and goal at Baltimore's 4 yard line. Plenty of time for three plays, but again the Jets botched things. The Jets had reverted to their usual fearful style of offense, and settled for a tying field goal.
The Jets won the overtime coin toss, but continued their predictable play-calling of runs of first and second down and passing on third and long. On both of their overtime drives, they failed to get a first down.

The Jets defense played a decent game, but defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson apparently is suffering from at least a mild case of Hackettitis. When the Jets pressured Ravens QB Kyle Boller, he was ineffective. Yet on a number of key plays, especially 3rd and longs, the Jets dropped into a zone defense and allowed Boller time to complete a first down pass. The Ravens two touchdowns were scored on 4th and 8 and on 3rd and 11. On neither play did the Jets blitz.

The failure to blitz Boller follows similar failures to blitz Bills QB Drew Bledsoe last week and Patriots QB Tom Brady three weeks ago. The Jets lost both of those games too.

The Jets are still 6-3, but poor coaching decisions almost cost them home games against the Bills and the 49ers. With Chad Pennington out and a difficult schedule ahead, especially over the season's last four games - against the Steelers, Seahawks, Patriots and Rams - the Jets appear on the verge of failing to make the playoffs after a 5-0 start.

For all the misery of being a Jets fan, perhaps I'm a masochist for schlepping by bus, train and bus from Queens, and then back, to pay to watch this team humiliate themselves season after season. Either way, complaining is the birthright of a Jets fan no less than is misery, and it looks like we'll be doing so for years to come.
posted on 11/15/2004