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Matt Forte says Jets don't want repeat of locker room issues


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Matt Forte says Jets don't want repeat of locker room issues

 
 

i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2016%2F1106%2Fr149231_1 "There's a difference between playing next to somebody and (playing) for them," Matt Forte said. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Coach Todd Bowles doesn't believe there were locker room issues last season with the New York Jets, just some minor stuff that got blown out of proportion because of the losing.

That's interesting because they've spent a lot of time this offseason addressing problems that didn't exist.

Running back Matt Forte, one of the few over-30 players who survived the roster purge, became the latest player to publicly acknowledge something was amiss last season with the team's chemistry.

"Being in that locker room and going through that season, we know what the issues were," he told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday from the NFL Broadcast Boot Camp. "We identify those issues as a group and meet with the coaches and talk about, 'How do we change that? How do we change the culture in the locker room? How do we change the mistakes we made last year?'"

Forte said team leaders have conducted "a lot of meetings" with the coaches throughout the offseason, relaying the message to the rest of the players. He spoke in general terms -- no specifics -- but he touched on a topic that was raised by wide receiver Quincy Enunwa at the end of the season. It was Enunwa who said -- quite accurately, I might add -- that the 2016 Jets simply didn't play as a team.

"There's a difference between playing next to somebody and (playing) for them," Forte said. "I always say that to guys, like last year, when we were in the middle of the season and things weren't going well. We were at practice and I was like, 'Guys, everybody is out here as an individual and we're just playing next to the guy. Do you really know that guy?' If I'm playing next to you instead of for you, I really don't trust you."

By now, you probably know most of the stuff that happened. There was the Ryan Fitzpatrick-front office contract battle, which set a bad tone in the offseason. There was the Brandon Marshall-Sheldon Richardson feud, which created tension in the locker room. And, of course, there were the Tardy Boys, Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson, both of whom were benched for a quarter.

 

Bowles changed the dynamic in the locker room by parting ways with several vets, including Fitzpatrick and Marshall. Now it's up to Bowles, and his group of team leaders, to rebuild the chemistry for 2017.

It's still only May, but the Jets are ahead of 2016 in at least one respect: The team's most experienced quarterback and likely starter, Josh McCown, is in the building, bonding with teammates. That wasn't the case last year with Fitzpatrick, who wasn't able to attend offseason activities because he was unsigned.

Forte said McCown, a former teammate with the Chicago Bears, is doing a good job of helping to fill a leadership void at quarterback.

"He's been able to reach out to guys throughout the locker room already, and gain that camaraderie, that teammate that you need and that leader ... at quarterback that we need and are pretty much lacking," Forte said.

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okay.  bowles is right about the losing.  it brings everyone down and as they keep trying to get a win they can actually lose more.  but the real question is "did the right guys get purged?".  if not then it could be the same old story. 

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Bowles sucks. How you can have an admittedly broken locker room, win 5 games, and still keep your job...surprising.  Isn't it the coaches job to steer the ship and keep everyone together moving in the same direction?  The failure of that is an indictment on the leadership isn't it?

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11 minutes ago, David Harris said:

Bowles sucks. How you can have an admittedly broken locker room, win 5 games, and still keep your job...surprising.  Isn't it the coaches job to steer the ship and keep everyone together moving in the same direction?  The failure of that is an indictment on the leadership isn't it?

I think he delegated responsibility to senior players. Hard to revive a losing team though.

I have always believed that 'team spirit' is an illusion seen in the aftermath of victory.

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Why does everyone refer to McCown as the likely starter?  

 

Starting him would make zero sense and it almost seems like Woody has bought into patience.   There is literally zero reason to watch this team if they trot McCown out there week after week With some bs about best chance to win.  

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2 minutes ago, LionelRichie said:

Why does everyone refer to McCown as the likely starter?  

 

Starting him would make zero sense and it almost seems like Woody has bought into patience.   There is literally zero reason to watch this team if they trot McCown out there week after week With some bs about best chance to win.  

Starting McCown, means Bowles should be fired right away!

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2 hours ago, rangerous said:

okay.  bowles is right about the losing.  it brings everyone down and as they keep trying to get a win they can actually lose more.  but the real question is "did the right guys get purged?".  if not then it could be the same old story. 

BMarshall & Revis is a damn good start. Most fans could see he was mailing it in so you know the players did. 

Marshall's history always seems to be the same. Yr 1 he's fine. Yrs 2 & 3 he becomes tiresome. Fair to say players got sick of his weekly Showtime stint and his 2-3 weekly 30 minute press gatherings pontificating about life and how he's a leader. 

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2 hours ago, David Harris said:

Bowles sucks. How you can have an admittedly broken locker room, win 5 games, and still keep your job...surprising.  Isn't it the coaches job to steer the ship and keep everyone together moving in the same direction?  The failure of that is an indictment on the leadership isn't it?

1 friggin yr. If it continues in '17 highly doubt he's back for '18.

JMO but I don't see a repeat of '17 happening. Not even close. 

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1 hour ago, LionelRichie said:

Why does everyone refer to McCown as the likely starter?  

 

Starting him would make zero sense and it almost seems like Woody has bought into patience.   There is literally zero reason to watch this team if they trot McCown out there week after week With some bs about best chance to win.  

Can we all slow down and wait for week 1 and subsequent weeks. I highly doubt IF McCown is the week 1 starter he won't be come mid-October. 

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21 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

The more this gets re-referenced by players, the more obvious it was s sh*t show beyond anything we've speculated.

Yeah and although it sounds like they got rid of a few in Marshall and Revis, and are past the whole gushing for Fitzpatrick thing, there's still a lot of the same guys still on the team. Wondering what to make of Mo, who never really seemed like he'd be a cancer, I'm skeptical he is. Are the tardies a microcosm of something bigger. I'm guessing Richardson is one of those "bad guys" still on the team. I'm wondering what to make of not having Mangold there anymore. I can't imagine he'd be a part of that but you never know I guess. Ok so besides douche Revis and Marshall who are all these veterans gone?

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3 hours ago, David Harris said:

Bowles sucks. How you can have an admittedly broken locker room, win 5 games, and still keep your job...surprising.  Isn't it the coaches job to steer the ship and keep everyone together moving in the same direction?  The failure of that is an indictment on the leadership isn't it?

The same way one can provide a misconfigured roster, win 5 games and still keep his job. Isn't it the GM's job to provide a roster that does not have 4 DT's as the starters on a 3/4 team? SMH

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15 minutes ago, tfine said:

 


It really isn't a coaches job to play babysitter. If these guys can't control themselves and hold themselves accountable they are gone plain and simple. You really can't blame Bowles for not controlling a group a players he did not bring in here.


Sent from my iPhone using JetNation.com mobile app

What? A coach HAS to have full control of the lockerroom at all times. If he loses the team, he's not a viable HC. The moment he noticed an issue, he should have addressed it. If he needed to make an example of someone, he should have done so. If he thought Revis was mailing it in, he should have made him inactive for a game and then made a vague statement about the players that are giving their best effort on the field are the ones that deserve to play just to publicly burn him and show the rest of the guys there that he's not to be ****ed with, especially if those players value their reputation in the league.  Or something like that. ANYTHING. Nope...not Bowels. Head in the sand.

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5 minutes ago, Lil Woody said:

What? A coach HAS to have full control of the lockerroom at all times. If he loses the team, he's not a viable HC. The moment he noticed an issue, he should have addressed it. If he needed to make an example of someone, he should have done so. If he thought Revis was mailing it in, he should have made him inactive for a game and then made a vague statement about the players that are giving their best effort on the field are the ones that deserve to play just to publicly burn him and show the rest of the guys there that he's not to be ****ed with, especially if those players value their reputation in the league.  Or something like that. ANYTHING. Nope...not Bowels. Head in the sand.

Exactly good NFL coaches have control of their team especially in the locker room and on the field. 

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17 minutes ago, tfine said:

 


It really isn't a coaches job to play babysitter. If these guys can't control themselves and hold themselves accountable they are gone plain and simple. You really can't blame Bowles for not controlling a group a players he did not bring in here.


Sent from my iPhone using JetNation.com mobile app

 

I blame Bowles for almost everything wrong with the NY Jets. 

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22 minutes ago, tfine said:

 


It really isn't a coaches job to play babysitter. If these guys can't control themselves and hold themselves accountable they are gone plain and simple. You really can't blame Bowles for not controlling a group a players he did not bring in here.


Sent from my iPhone using JetNation.com mobile app

 

Comments like this make this board unreadable....well during the off season anyway

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14 minutes ago, tfine said:

Dramatic aren't we? Yea lets fire a coach after one bad year because Jets fans...super bowl or bust!


Sent from my iPhone using JetNation.com mobile app

There are guys that earn more leash and there are guys that show you they are not deserving of any.  Bowles displayed a ton of deficiencies in the 1st year, despite the wins.  We glossed over a lot of the poor decisions because it ended well and he was learning on the job after all.  But then he regressed the next season and THEN his team quit on him.  Keeping Bowles on is just like keeping Herm on. We knew he was a bad hire, but we didn't cut the chord early because of how it would look.  Every day with Bowles is another wasted opportunity.

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15 hours ago, C Mart said:

1 friggin yr. If it continues in '17 highly doubt he's back for '18.

JMO but I don't see a repeat of '17 happening. Not even close. 

20 grand if this happens Macc doesn't get canned. Woody has acknowledged the new formula to building a team and he had to have at least personally considered he matched Bowles up with him and Todd won't be his ball and chain.

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20 hours ago, C Mart said:

BMarshall & Revis is a damn good start. Most fans could see he was mailing it in so you know the players did. 

Marshall's history always seems to be the same. Yr 1 he's fine. Yrs 2 & 3 he becomes tiresome. Fair to say players got sick of his weekly Showtime stint and his 2-3 weekly 30 minute press gatherings pontificating about life and how he's a leader. 

true enough about marshall. he apparently loses interest when his team isn't winning and then becomes a huge reason why they're losing. a 50% drop rate just doesn't cut it no matter who is throwing the ball (and lots of those drops were in his hands). and how the press anointed as a team leader is anyone's guess. just because a player talks doesn't mean he's a leader.  it just means he talks.

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7 hours ago, Patriot Killa said:

20 grand if this happens Macc doesn't get canned. Woody has acknowledged the new formula to building a team and he had to have at least personally considered he matched Bowles up with him and Todd won't be his ball and chain.

I didn't say Mcc would be. 

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"Leadership void at QB" McClown "leader ... at quarterback that we need and are pretty much lacking," ????

Sounds like Fitz really imploded in the locker room as well as on the field - it is interesting that several players on the Fitz bandwagon last year are gone (Marshall, Mangold, Chan), surprised Decker survived but guess he was out for most of the year 

also strange that Bowles survived, usually losing the locker room is the ticket out of town and there is little doubt based on these reports, except for Buster, he is firmly into Bowles

 

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10 hours ago, Patriot Killa said:

I didn't accuse you of it. I'm just saying..that would be the more likely scenario for the people that want to clean house of the entire regime. And there are a lot.

True. It'd be the worst thing Woody could do at this point. 

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47 minutes ago, RedBeardedSavage said:

What was the feud between Sheldon and Marshall about?  Is that old news?  I haven't seen anything on that, and although it's not surprising, I'd like to know more.

Fitzpatrick 

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