THE REASON BOWLES WILL LIKELY BE BACK
Woody’s goals may force Jets to keep Bowles
THERE was a distinct tone in Todd Bowles’ voice in the aftermath of the Jets’ 31-19 loss to the Saints on Sunday in New Orleans that made it sound as if he doesn’t have a worry in the world about his future as the Jets head coach.
Bowles sounded like a coach who’s merely in the middle of his rebuild of a Jets team that had just been officially eliminated from the playoffs, assuring a seventh consecutive playoff-less season as coal in the Christmas stockings of its famished fan base. And he sounded OK with it. Bowles sure didn’t sound like a beleaguered coach who has lost 20 of his last 30 games (after a 10-6 f irst year) and should be wondering whether he’ll be brought back for a fourth season.
“This is going to turn,’’ Bowles said, sounding very much like someone expecting to be a part of that turn. “I believe we have a good core group. We’ve got to eliminate the number of the mistakes … and we’re going to be right there.’’ Right where? That’s the question. There’s been no indication from Jets management that Bowles has been assured (verbally or otherwise) of anything regarding his future by ownership. So, what gives? This: The fact that Jets owner Woody Johnson boxed himself into a corner on Bowles’ future when he told reporters before this season that the coach would not be evaluated on wins and losses.
“The way I want to be judged this year, hopefully from the fans’ standpoint, is watch how we improve during the year, look at each individual on the team and see how they’re getting better,” Johnson said in the spring. “If they’re getting better, that’s a mark of progress. That’s what we’re looking for.”
If Johnson is going to hold himself to his words, then it’s likely the Jets will be faced with the lukewarm decision to hand Bowles a modest contract extension despite three straight seasons out of the playoffs under his watch.
Because it is difficult to argue against the fact that the Jets do have some young, developing talent that has made strides this season.
“There are lots of guys that are coming on and coming on together, and that gives us hope,’’ Bowles said Monday.
Still, it feels more than a bit uncomfortable that many are celebrating the Jets for winning five games this season. It feels somewhat soft that they’re being praised for being competitive in all but two of their 14 games, including Sunday’s closer-than-expected loss to the Saints, who were 16 ½-point favorites.
Since when do we dole out medals for trying around here?
The fact is the Jets, who’ve lost seven of their last nine games, have benefitted greatly from the ridiculously low expectations placed upon them before this season. I never bought into the talk of the Jets going 0-16 or even t he notion of them winning only one or two games. Their defense had enough talent to keep most games close, and veteran Josh McCown, though universally dismissed as a player when he was signed, is a professional quarterback.
Yet, when you listen to the Jets players — and even Bowles now — you hear them referring to those low expectations and patting themselves on the back for surpassing them, winning more games than most expected them to.
“We won five games, so we surpassed your guys’ [media] expectations of going 0-16,’’ receiver Jermaine Kearse said.
“They said we were going to win zero games this year,’’ cornerback Buster Skrine said. “I know that everybody that watches our team play knows our team is growing. Our team knows we’re a good team.’’
The Jets are in the complicated position of assessing who they are — an overachieving team on the rise with developing young talent or a team in need of a lot of help considering they’re 10-20 in their last 30 games?
“There are some things we’re doing good out there, some things we can continue to build off of,’’ Kearse said. “I don’t think we’re far away. There have been games we didn’t finish that we could have [won] — three or four games we gave up ourselves. We win those games and we’re in playoff contention.
“But the reality is that we didn’t and we’re stuck in this situation. So, what are we going to do to get ourselves out of this situation?’’
Whatever they do, it appears they’ll be doing it with Bowles coaching them.