WOODY HAS TODD & MAC’S BACKS
Owner preaches chorus of patience with coach, GM
Woody Johnson’s Jets have not seen the postseason in six seasons, but he is not ready to hand head coach Todd Bowles a playoffs-or-else ultimatum for 2017.
“I don’t really like mandates because they normally don’t work — lines in the sand or whatever,” Johnson said Thursday in his postseason wrap-up session with reporters. “You don’t want to judge it that way. The way we’ll judge it is getting better each and every year and seeing it in our players — our young players. Are they getting better or are they going the other way?”
The Jets are coming off a disappointing 5-11 finish in Bowles’ second season on the job. Johnson stuck by the coach and general manager Mike Maccagnan, keeping them for a third season due to a belief in their plan.
“I’m still very, very in his corner,” Johnson said of Bowles. “I think he’s very talented. I think he’s going to get better, as we all are, including me, at what they do. I’m just so happy to have him, both he and Mike.”
Johnson said he understands Jets fans are angry right now, but said they have to be patient and trust that the team has a plan. Firing Bowles and Maccagnan would not help them get to the playoffs any quicker in Johnson’s view.
“A lot of change is not the answer,” Johnson said. “That’s not the way to do it, in our opinion. You’ll get to where you want to be sooner if you go down the path that we’re going to go.”
Fans are fed up after watching the team slip from 10-6 in 2015 to 5-11 this season. The talk of a long-term plan is not going to go over well with the fan base, who has watched this team fail to win a division title since 2002.
“I’m in the game of winning, so any time I don’t win I’m disappointed for our fans,” Johnson said. “Our fans want us to win, and when they don’t win they’re disappointed. I don’t blame them. I’m disappointed.”
Does t hat mean t hat season-ticket holders can expect the Jets to lower ticket prices in 2017?
“We haven’t decided what we’re going to do with ticket prices, but we probably won’t raise them,” Johnson said.
The Jets hired Bowles and Maccagnan in 2015 to replace Rex Ryan and John Idzik. Two years later, the team still is searching for a franchise quarterback, and the past two draft classes have yielded one surefire longtime starter in Leonard Williams. The rest of the picks remain question marks.
As for Bowles, he had several on-field stumbles this season and the locker room splintered under his watch.
Still, Johnson likes what he has seen.
“They will get this done, in my opinion,” Johnson said.
He was asked if that means he thinks the Jets can win the Super Bowl with Bowles and Maccagnan.
“I wouldn’t have them if I didn’t,” Johnson said. “I’m not here to come in second place.”
Johnson was non-committal when asked if he wanted cornerback Darrelle Revis back.
“He’s going to be a Hall of Famer,” Johnson said. “There’s no question he’s one of the best players to put on a Jets uniform, that’s for sure, or any uniform. He just has such unbelievable talent. It wasn’t his best year, but a lot of guys didn’t have good years this year. My hat’s off to Darrelle, great career.
“I like Darrelle, but it is up to the coaches and general manager how he fits [in 2017] and all that.”
Johnson also would not confirm if he is going to be Ambassador to the United Kingdom in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.
“Let me just say it would be an honor to be considered for something like that, but that’s speculation right now so I really can’t comment on it,” Johnson said.