Time for Super dreams? Shaun Powell November 18, 2008 The Jets play in Tennessee against the unbeaten Titans and if they shake up the football world Sunday, then New York can start fantasizing about another shake-up Feb. 1. Sure, a few disclaimers are necessary before you lapse into a New York state of mind: Nothing is guaranteed. The season is far from over. Dreams can be shattered with the force of Brandon Jacobs running at you with a 5-yard head start. Yes, yes, all that. But this isn't about whether it will happen; this is about whether it can happen. It's up to the Jets, who must come up big, or should we say "giant," in five days. They'll either give your fantasy the green light or the yellow. Until then, yellow is best. No question, both local football teams are a combined 16-4 after 10 games and creating an atmosphere not felt around here since 1986, when they were 19-3 after 11 games. Yes, '86 comes to mind when weighing the present-day possibilities, because it serves as a cautionary tale. That season demonstrated the potential and the perils of long-term dreaming. It raised hopes, sent a buzz through the stadium shared by both teams and eventually saw the champagne glass go half-full, since only one reached the Super Bowl. The Giants were the dominant team in football that year, same as now. It was the coming of age of Bill Parcells and the turning point of the franchise after decades of decay. They had eight Pro Bowlers, went 10-0 at home, Lawrence Taylor was at his ferocious peak and after stomping the 49ers in the playoffs, the Giants didn't face a serious threat. They relied on a pass rush, wore teams down with the running game and used a safe and conservative passing approach by Phil Simms to near perfection (22-for-25 against the Broncos in the big game). Yet, at one point that year, they were the No. 2 team in town. "We weren't too bad, either," Joe Walton said. The Jets won 10 of their first 11 with their best team since 1968. They beat John Elway and the Broncos, who ultimately won the conference, slipped past Dan Marino in a classic overtime shootout, and the Bills twice. But the injuries came quick and heavy; that's what Walton, the coach, remembers most. "After we won something like eight straight," he said yesterday, "my wife said I should smile more. I said, 'Blondie, we're losing star players every week.' We had seven Pro Bowl players go down. We couldn't keep winning after that." The morale and especially the defense took a beating; Lance Mehl, Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau were never the same after injuries. The Jets lost their final five regular-season games and limped into the postseason with health and quarterback concerns. They surprised the Chiefs in the wild-card game before losing to the Browns in double OT. If that wasn't bad enough, it took 12 years before the Jets reached the second round again. Good luck finding another team in NFL history with the crummy luck the Jets had in 1986. Walton said he's not a "what-if" guy, but the former coach caught himself in a what-if moment upon further reflection. "With the start we had," Walton said quietly, "we thought we might go far into the playoffs." Walton and the Jets discovered the harsh realities of the NFL season and why nothing can be taken for granted, especially something as unusual as an all-New York Super Bowl. Good health is a week-by-week roll of the dice. Then, once the postseason begins, anything's possible; just ask the Cowboys, Packers and Patriots, who learned the hard way last winter against the Giants. The Giants at 9-1 are poised to lock up home field throughout the playoffs and should that happen, it'll seem like 1986 all over. For them, anyway. Once again, the Jets are the issue here. Even at 7-3 and holding the division lead, they're not convincing as championship material yet. There's a game Sunday with the Titans, then another month of football, and if all goes right, an even bigger game in Tennessee. "I'd like to see Jets vs. Giants happen," Walton said. "It would be a nice thing." Nice thing, perhaps. Sure thing? Get real. Sunday Jets at Tennessee 1 p.m. TV: Ch. 2 Radio: WEPN (1050), WABC (770), WRCN (103.9)
No, no, no. . . . you're supposed to write articles like this BEFORE the season. Anyone can write these things in the middle of it all.
way to early to talk superbowl. I agree with the other posts saying should have been writen in preseason not now
you guys are being ridiculous. Theres nothing wrong with talking superbowl. Its week 12 guys...its time to talk playoffs and superbowl. 10 games is enough to establish what teams have no shot at it and what teams have a shot of some degree. The Jets are clearly a team with a shot. The Giants obviously. I see nothing wrong with the article regardless of the "sell papers" element.
Ummmm....We lost to The Oakland Raiders...... I'll repeat that... We lost to The Oakland Raiders...... Get past 11 wins, and then start talking playoffs.
Agreed. Until the Jets stop playing either up or down to the level of their opposition and finds some consistency for 4 qtrs, its too early. If this team can run the table after the Ten game, then yeah, we just might have something really, really special going on this season.
I just want to enjoy this ride no matter where it takes us. it's alot of fun walking outside feeling the chill in the air and knowing we have a chance. Who knows where this season ends up? I just want to win this week then we'll worry about the following game next week.
Plus it shortens winter. Hopefully they go deep in the playoffs, and before you know it...spring and the 2009 Draft.
Feel free to talk SB if you want, but I'm not. I don't even want to talk playoffs unless it's like I hope the Jets win out to get home field, but the focus has got to be one game at a time. I don't want to downplay the NE win, since I loved it like I haven't enjoyed watching a single game in a long time. But NE has three other losses, including to the fish. How good a measure of the league are they really at this point? Jets have a pretty good measure coming up this week. If they lose, they could be tied with f'ing Miami. My recommendation is to take each week just like team does. One game at a time. If they open up a division lead, approach nailing down home field at least through the divisional rounds, that's a good time to start talking SB. Imo, not before then.
In a sick kind of way I think losing to Oakland is helping the team mentally... it's like bulletin board material that they will never take down.
Well said. The football season is just fun these days. You look for all things Jets on TV.....you watch every game you can....you can't wait for Sunday. Awesome. They win this one and the sky is the limit.
Just a little speed bump ahead in Tennessee this Sunday. If the Jets win that one we can seriously talk about winning the AFC East and what that might portend for their chances to move to the big game. If they lose to the Titans and play well in the process then they just have to get by Miami in week 17 in the Meadowlands for us to be able to have the same conversation.
Agreed. I haven't been totally fired up yet, but I'm not going to lie when I say the possibilities excite me greatly... And as you said, if they pull this off Sunday... well, I don't think I'll be able to hold out anymore... it'll be homeristic joy until the fat lady sings.
A speed bump or a launching pad? One of the biggest knocks on Mangini is his inability to overcome winning teams... he did it last Sunday... and if he can do it again this Sunday... it'll restore my faith in this CS greatly... this game, if won, could provide the confidence the Jets need to know they can beat anyone the rest of the way.
Improbably the Jets have emerged as the candidate to break away from the pack and turn the AFC East race into a runaway. Now they just need to do that. The odds are that they'll be tied for the division lead again next week as New England and Miami play, making one of them 7-4 in waiting. The other one will be 6-5, and especially if it's Miami the schedule will still favor them to win 10 games. The Bills will be in KC against the worst team in football right now. That's probably 6-5 also. The Jets are ahead but the pack is right on their tail and they need to stay up on it.
I definitely understand what you're saying, but this is a scenario I worried about under Herm. Mangini hasn't really had much of an opportunity to back-in to the playoffs yet... I want to see him take care of business and get in simply because the Jets outclassed the other teams, not because they had help. That is also why I won't root for NE or Miami next Sunday. You have to be careful what you wish for.
Definitely don't root for Miami. They have a pushover schedule at this point and a head to head matchup left with us. That's the team that scares me the most at the moment.
