No ‘W’ but Super effort a good sign
WELL, at least the Jets are not 0-8, which didn’t seem like much of a reach two months ago. Any realistic member of Gang Green Nation would have signed up for 3-5 at the halfway point and been so giddy they probably would have already sent in their deposit for 2018 season tickets. Okay, that’s taking it a bit too far. As bad as I thought the Jets were going to be this season — remember, I provided the road map to 0-16 in June — not only should they be better than 3-5, but one or two plays in each of the last three weeks and they would be 6-2 and sitting alone in first place in the AFC East instead of sitting alone in last place.
They were up 14-0 in the second quarter on the Patriots at home two weeks ago and lost 24-17.
They were up by 14 points in the fourth quarter in Miami last week and lost 31-28.
They were up 17-16 entering the fourth quarter on the Falcons on Sunday and lost 25-20.
The Jets lost all three games. They are not good enough to know how to finish.
The Patriots are the defending Super Bowl champs and the Falcons are the defending NFC champs. Neither team is playing at nearly the level that got them in the Super Bowl, but for the Jets to come close against them is an indication the program is headed in the right direction. The Jets are playing hard. That’s a good reflection on Todd Bowles. “Hard enough,” Bowles said. “Not good enough.” His assessment at the midway point? “We’re 3-5,” he said. “That’s the record. It’s not about anything else. We’re 3-5.”
If the Jets can beat the Bills in a quick turnaround on Thursday night, they will remain relevant in the wild-card race. If they lose to get to 3-6 with four straight losses, it will be time for Bowles to point Josh McCown to the bench so the Jets can get a long look at either Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg.
McCown is 38 and he’s just not going to get any better. He would be an excellent backup if the Jets had a franchise quarterback. He did outplay Matt Ryan, last year’s MVP who fumbled four snaps in the gamelong downpour, by completing 26-of-33 passes for 257 yards and two TDs and no INTs. He has done his job. He has kept the Jets respectable. But if the Jets are going to draft a quarterback in the first round in April, they need to first come to a decision about Petty and Hackenberg.
Bowles doesn’t sound inclined to hold open quarterback tryouts during the season. “I looked at all of my young quarterbacks in the summer,” Bowles said. “Josh is my quarterback.”
Bowles is trying to convince Ambassador Johnson and Christopher Johnson that he has the arrow pointing up but it’s going to take more than just playing hard to get him a contract extension at the end of the season. The Jets need to win some games. Bowles feels McCown gives him the best chance. Petty has journeyman talent and there is no indication Hackenberg has the skills to even be a backup.
The Jets lost even though they started four drives in Falcons territory. They were able to generate only 10 points from those possessions. The Falcons started three drives from their own six, three and one. The Jets were 2-for-4 on field goals. The Falcons were 4-for-4. Jeremy Kerley’s fumbled punt at the Jets 13 with just under seven minutes left set up Atlanta’s final field goal.
The Jets make too many mistakes because they don’t have enough good players. That will come in the next year or two. Perhaps after this season, what is happening this year will be considered the best possible outcome: The Jets are playing hard, young players are gaining valuable experience and they are competitive. But the more they lose, the better chance they have to get a franchise QB in the draft. It’s too bad McCown is not 25 with a chance to improve. But this is the best he’s got. The fans devoted enough to spend their Sunday sitting in the monsoon have bonded with this team. There was a lot of enthusiasm in the stadium. anging tough with the two Super Bowl teams says a lot about the character and the culture change Bowles has made in the locker room. Now the Jets just need some explosive pieces on offense.
“It’s a process,” wide receiver Jermaine Kearse said. “We want to be winning during this process. We got to keep our eyes forward and don’t let any negativity in our thoughts, in our organization, because we really do have a good football team. I see it every day. I experience it every day. I’m around it every day. We got the right guys here to win football games (and) to be phenomenal. “
Kearse has a unique perspective. He played in two Super Bowls with Seattle, winning one, making an incredible catch in the other. He knows how to win. “At the end of the day, we got to stick together and we got to keep pushing this forward together,” he said.
Even though the Browns and Colts are the only AFC teams who have lost more games, the Jets’ season is still alive at the halfway point. That’s a bigger bonus than a bowl of Halloween candy.
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