Fourth win yields No. 4

[Smizzy]

Fourth win yields No. 4

BY KEN BERGER

STAFF WRITER

January 2, 2006

Snapshots of finality were everywhere, playing out like a montage.

Jonathan Vilma exchanged jerseys with his former University of Miami teammate, Willis McGahee, in the tunnel just after leaving the field.

Vinny Testaverde and Wayne Chrebet inspected their gifts from Tiffany's in their lockers, a token of appreciation from the team.

John Abraham's locker was noticeably empty, its occupant long gone.

Pete Kendall looked around the room and realized that the faces most certainly will change, including, quite possibly, at his own locker.

"On my drive back home [today] ... reality will start to set in and the waiting game starts," Kendall said in the moments after the Jets beat the Bills, 30-26, yesterday to finish the worst season under coach Herman Edwards at 4-12. "You can't be surprised at anything that happens."

The uncertainty begins with Edwards, who seemed to recognize that any statements he could make about his future at roughly 4:30 p.m. Jan. 1, 2006, probably wouldn't suffice.

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm coming back," Edwards said. "So that's where that's at. I think I already addressed it. There's nothing to be said on that. I'll be here [today] and I'll talk about it again if you like."

The story lines were almost too numerous to digest, as they typically are when a team endures what Edwards described yesterday as "a horrific season." Who would stay, who would go, and most importantly to fans, where would the Jets land in the 2006 draft order? By beating the Bills, the Jets eliminated themselves from contention for the No. 1 overall pick, which almost certainly will be used to select USC running back Reggie Bush.

The Jets wound up with the fourth pick. They were tied with the Titans, Packers, 49ers and Raiders at 4-12 but had a worse strength of schedule (.527) than every team except Tennessee.

The Texans (2-14) got the top pick by losing to San Francisco and are followed by the Saints (3-13) and Titans. Barring a trade, that probably means no Bush and no Matt Leinart for the Jets.

"We're going to get a good football player," Edwards said. "Last time I checked, I had a saying a couple of years ago that you play the game for one reason and one reason only. Right? That hasn't changed for me. You play to win."

Players had the same attitude, saying they were unfazed by fan interest in the No. 1 pick. They intercepted four of Kelly Holcomb's passes, including three by Pro Bowl cornerback Ty Law, giving him a career-high 10 in his first and perhaps only season as a Jet.

"I understand why fans would want to have an opportunity to get what everybody believes to be one of the most exciting players in recent memory in the draft," Kendall said. "But that's not our goal."

The Jets squandered a 17-6 lead that linebacker Mark Brown provided with a 33-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter. A 3-yard TD pass from Holcomb to Roscoe Parrish gave the Bills a 23-20 lead with 36 seconds left in the third.

Rookie cornerback Justin Miller, one of the few bright spots this season, erased a 26-23 deficit with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 5:58 left in the fourth quarter. An elated Edwards greeted him on the sideline, triggering a celebration that might not have been replicated in living rooms filled with Jets fans thirsty for a higher draft pick.

"As far as the fans, they want Bush," Vilma said. "Who cares? That doesn't bother me at all. I didn't even look in the stands to see if they had anything going on as far as banners."

There were no "We Want Bush" banners visible in the sparse crowd, which appeared to number fewer than 25,000. Edwards had his eyes on the stands, and the future, for other reasons.

"It's not fun for the players, it's not fun for this organization, it's not fun for our fans," Edwards said. "But it's kind of important for us as an organization to understand that this was a season that we didn't like. But as I've said many times, it's not a condition. It's a season. A new season will start for us, the 2006 season."

The coach said he was proud of the players' and coaches' effort, and his voice cracked when he said, "I'm proud of being their football coach."

Outside the stadium, the personable Edwards held a baby as he posed for pictures with fans. He shook hands with two security men, boarded the team bus and was gone.

2006 draft order

Team (record, strength of schedule)

1. Texans (2-14)

2. Saints (3-13)

3. Titans (4-12, .510*)

4. Jets (4-12, .527)

5. Packers (4-12, .531)

6. 49ers (4-12, .537)

7. Raiders (4-12, .541*)

* Last night's Rams-Cowboys game affected the percentage, but not enough to change the draft order.

Compiled by Ken Berger