Decker doesn't regret N.Y. move
YOU CAN excuse Eric Decker if he wakes up Monday morning and has no idea what to do with himself next week.
All Decker has known at this time of year as an NFL receiver, with the exception of his rookie year, is playoff football in January. He played in six postseason games in the last three seasons with the Broncos, including the Super Bowl in February.
Before signing with the Jets as a free agent in March, what Decker mainly knew was winning: Denver was 133 last season en route to the Super Bowl and was 3414 in the regular season from 201113. Only in his rookie 2010 season was Denver below .500 at 412.
There, however, has been little in the way of winning this season for Decker and there will be no playoff game to prepare for next week after the 312 Jets close out their miserable season against the Dolphins on Sunday in South Florida.
So you can excuse Decker if he has any regrets about leaving the Broncos, who are 114 this season and poised for another potential playoff run deep into January — damn the fiveyear, $36 million contract with $15 million guaranteed the Jets handed him.
But, Decker insisted during a conversation with The Post: “I don’t have any regrets.’’
“When I made my decision to come to New York I wholeheartedly felt it was the best decision,’’ Decker said. “Even though the record is not the same and the stats aren’t the same [as they were in Denver], I still believe that my purpose is to be here. I believe there is a greater plan for me. I realize that is probably hard to see that in the moment.’’
There’s that saying: “Can’t see the forest through the trees.’’ It surely must be difficult for Decker to see a Jets playoff game through their murky instability at coach, quarterback and general manager right now.
“You’ve got to trust the process,’’ Decker said.
Decker will never say it, but that’s got to be a difficult exercise when, after his first season with the Jets, he has no idea who his coach, quarterback or general manager are going to be in his second season here.
Because that’s what Decker and the Jets face once the insignificant matter of Sunday’s season finale is out of the way: The likelihood of coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik being fired as soon as the season ends.
So on Monday, a time when Decker has been accustomed to beginning preparation for the playoffs, he’ll wait and wonder like everyone else to see what team owner Woody Johnson does.
“Having been in the playoffs the last few seasons, it hasn’t really hit me yet [that it won’t happen this year], but I’m sure after [Sunday], when I’m watching the playoffs instead of preparing to play in them it will be a different feeling,’’ Decker said.
Everything has been different for Decker since leaving Denver.
He left recordshattering Peyton Manning for a team that has one quarterback who’s past his prime (Michael Vick) and one who may never find his prime (Geno Smith). Those two have been interchangeable and equally as ineffective this season.
“We had some change at the [quarterback] position and change can be difficult,’’ Decker said. “I went from a 15, 16year veteran to a secondyear guy who’s still learning the system and crafting his game, trying to learn while he’s playing. Building that [receiverquarterback] relationship was a little bit difficult, because Geno was not as established in the league as [Manning].’’
Decker made no excuses. He hasn’t been good enough this season, not for the star money he got to lead a team that has been devoid of a top receiver the last couple of years.
Sure, he leads the Jets in receptions with 64 and yardage with 741 and has four touchdowns. But he had 87 catches for 1,288 yards and 11 TDs last season and 85 for 1,064 yards and 13 TDs in 2012. Even with Tim Tebow throwing to him in 2011, Decker had eight TD catches.
“I expected better from myself,’’ Decker said.
If there’s anything this season of disappointment has done for Decker, it has enhanced his appreciation for what he left behind in Denver and craves to have again as a Jet.
“Last year during the Super Bowl run at times I didn’t appreciate the moments of how big they were — being in the AFC Championship, winning 10plus games a couple years in a row,’’ Decker said. “Those things I took for granted. In this league it’s hard to do that consistently.’’
Especially as a Jet.