Well, now you know why I was so cautious on Monday. Less than a week after beating the mighty Tennessee Titans, the New York Jets simply forgot to show up in Buffalo and lost to the struggling Buffalo Bills, 6-17. This time the Jets allowed 203 yards on the ground and gave Bills RB Travis Henry an early Christmas gift - 169 yards rushing, best of his career. The Jets offensive line was unable to withstand Bills' blitzes and allowed season-high five sacks. Without enough time in the pocket QB Chad Pennington had quite a disappointing game - only 15 for 29, 155 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT. His quarterback rating was only 53.1.
So, the New York Jets are now officially out of the playoff race. Although the reality of missing the playoffs became obvious somewhere around week four, many fans still continued to believe that this team would pull off a miracle for the third year in a row. Well, guys, as much as I hate to say this but you can't live on miraculous comebacks and lucky circumstances forever. Sooner or later the hole becomes too deep to climb out of..
I really don't understand those of you who think that the Jets should give Herman Edwards a contract extension. Don't you see that this man keeps repeating his mistakes over and over? Three seasons of Herman Edwards' regime and three seasons the Jets can't stop the run. Ok, I may agree that in the first year he did not have his personnel. Ok, I may agree that in the second year the personnel did not jell enough. What are the excuses for the third year? Three seasons under Herm and three seasons in a row the Jets had a slow, putting it lightly, start. What are the excuses here? What are the excuses that in his third year as NFL head coach this man still makes mistakes managing the game clock?
Yes, Herm does motivate his players well, he motivates them only to have yet another awful performance, like today, one week later. His Jets are unpredictable and inconsistent, they are a mediocre team, and mediocrity just won't do it in this league. Yes, Herman Edwards is a nice person, or at least he seems to be one, but he surely is a lousy NFL head coach. If the Jets give him a contract extension and commit to his regime for a few more years, they will commit to mediocrity. Under Herman Edwards the Jets will never become anything more than an up and down, inconsistent team that relies on late 4th quarter comebacks and other teams to help them make the playoffs.