" Jets hit paydirt with Todd Bowles/Mike Maccagnan tandem " ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

 — His secondary can't cover a lamp post. His quarterback has turned the fourth-quarter interception into his personal calling card. His entire team seemed to approach a must-win game with the urgency of a mini-camp scrimmage in late spring.Todd Bowles has problems. The Jets not only dropped a 27-17 snoozer to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, but now they travel to face two teams — Pittsburgh and Arizona — that were popular preseason picks to reach the Super Bowl.Yes, the schedule softens after that. But if 1-3 turns into 1-5, will that even matter? Especially with those two games against New England still looming on the schedule? And, you know, with the fact that this team is playing some rotten football right now?

"The season's not over," the Jets head coach said. But it is certainly dangling on that edge, and if Bowles can't find away to clean up what is quite suddenly a long list of issues, the Jets are in danger of not playing meaningful games after Halloween this season.That falls on Bowles. He did a nice job rallying this team in his rookie season as a head coach, winning five straight games after a 5-5 start. That promising run ended with — anyone sense a trend? — three fourth-quarter Ryan Fitzpatrick interceptions in Buffalo on the final day of the season.Fitzpatrick had the fourth-quarter INT hat trick again in this one, and while only one of them was a truly bad throw and decision, his overall performance did little to inspire confidence about this offense. He completed 23 of 41 passes for 261 yards, but the Jets only points after intermission came when receiver Charone Peake returned his fumble for a garbage-time touchdown.

Already, Fitzpatrick's teammates are answering questions about their confidence level in him. That led Brandon Marshall to channel his inner Micheal Ray Richardson — "the ship be sinkin'!" — in his defense."I'm going down in a boat with Ryan Fitzpatrick. Okay? You got it?" Marshall said after catching four passes for 89 yards, including his first touchdown reception of the season.Bowles didn't waver on his support for Fitzpatrick, either, insisting it was as strong as the first day of the season. What can he say? He knows better than to toss the keys to this offense to backup Geno Smith, no matter how many interceptions his starter throws.The offense was always going to be flawed, and that was before it lost No. 2 receiver Eric Decker to a partially torn rotator cuff. The bigger concern: What happened to Bowles' defense?

The Jets looked like they had the pieces for a truly elite D this season, with a dominant line and veteran secondary. Then, in Week 1, cornerback Darrelle Reviswas torched against A.J. Green and the Bengals, and despite some flashes this unit has looked ordinary at best.This wasn't a Pro Bowler like Green running free for a touchdown on Sunday. This was Tanner McEvoy, the former Bergen Catholic High quarterback, who was inexplicably left open on a 42-yard touchdown pass. Bowles had no answer for a question he's heard plenty: Why does this Jets secondary keep on giving up big plays? 

"That's a good question," he said. "There should be no excuse at this point in time. We're not playing anything difficult. It just got busted back there and it needs to be corrected. If it can't be corrected, then we need to change people." Bowles, remember, is a head coach because of the reputation he built as a defensive coach in Arizona. He hardly looked like a mastermind in this one, failing to bring enough pressure to rattle Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson despite his limited mobility after suffering a knee injury last week.  This is not an anomaly, either. With the exception of a good performance in Buffalo in Week 2, the Jets defense hasn't played anywhere near up to its talent level. It has just two interceptions in four weeks. That's not even good quarter for Fitzpatrick. 

Yes, Bowles has problems. The Jets fan base appreciated his no-B.S. approach in his first season and (mostly) absolved him for the disaster in Buffalo that ended the season. But now those paying customers, not known for their patience, are staring at another lost season. "We're a veteran team. We're mature," Bowles said. "We're going to come together and get it fixed."He spoke with conviction and with little concern about the daunting challenge his team faces on the schedule. The season is not over but it's teetering, and the head coach better find a way to pull it from the edge. Fast.

>    http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/10/todd_bowles_faces_a_crisis_as_jets_season_threaten.html#incart_river_index

[kelly]

WATCH: Todd Bowles on the biggest concerns and issues with the Jets

> http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/todd_bowles_on_the_biggest_concerns_and_issues_with_the_jets/s1_13258_22031164

[kelly]

 -- Todd Bowles was right about one thing: The blame falls on him.

He wasn't solely responsible for the Jets' 31-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, of course, and no double-digit loss can be pinned on one bad decision or two. But the Jets head coach, who built up so much optimism with a 10-win season in his rookie year, is the one responsible for this current 1-4 mess. He has a mistake-prone team and a bunch of cranky players crying out for leadership.

It was his job to keep them out of this hole that's so deep it may already have engulfed their entire season. It's his responsibility that his team -- especially his defense -- has dramatically underachieved."I take all the blame," Bowles said. "I'm the head coach. We'll go where I go. We're 1-4. That falls on me. As I lead, they follow. I need to do a better job of leading these guys and getting them prepared. You can put it all on me."

It's not all on him, of course. Some things are -- like a couple of wasted timeouts and a hard-to-defend decision to punt late in the game with the Jets near midfield and staring at a fourth-and-2 (more on that in a moment). And it's really hard to overlook how many areas in which this team is playing worse than it's supposed to play. He has a ton of talent on the defensive line, yet after a seven-sack outburst in Week 1, that pass rush has all but disappeared. On Sunday, the Jets were credited with just one quarterback hit. One. It's no wonder Ben Roethlisbergerwas able to pick them apart for 380 yards.

Meanwhile, this is Week 5 of the ongoing saga of the Jets' miscommunications in the secondary, likely made worse by the absence of the embattled Darrelle Revis. Again, the Jets were burned for a big play when Revis' replacement, Marcus Williams, ended up in one-on-one coverage on Sammy Coates with no safety help on the third play of the game and was burned for a 72-yard touchdown. And again, there were painfully obvious miscommunications, like when Steelers tight end Jesse James stood all alone in the end zone with no Jets near him to catch a one-yard touchdown pass late in the first half.

The solutions to the disappearing front and the disappointing back may not be obvious, but Bowles is a defensive coach who needs to figure it out -- just like he needs to help the offense out while quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick tries to work through his struggles with Eric Decker dealing with a shoulder injury. It likely didn't help that they threw the ball more than twice as much as they ran it, or that they only ran the ball five times in the second half in a game that wasn't really out of reach until the end.And those coaching struggles were compounded by two wasted timeouts, including one with 1:51 remaining in the game with the clock already stopped because the Jets either had too many men on the field or couldn't get their defense settled. And it really didn't help that Bowles made a questionable decision on that fateful fourth-and-2.

At the time, the Jets trailed 24-13 and their offense had just gone three-and-out on three of their first four drives of the second half. There was 7:36 remaining, the Jets were at their own 46, and Fitzpatrick threw an incomplete pass on third down. Bowles thought there was plenty of time for his defense to pin the Steelers and for the Jets to get the ball back.But he ignored that on each of the two previous drives the Steelers had ripped through the Jets' defense with ease, scoring a touchdown on one and losing the ball on a fumble at the Jets 14 on the other. Even if the Jets' defense stopped them, there likely would've only been five or so minutes remaining. But one or two first downs and the Jets risked not getting the ball back at all.

In the end, it didn't matter; the Steelers scored a touchdown on a 5-minute, 43-second drive. Bowles' decision left the Jets with no shot at all."Anytime something doesn't work out in life it's a mistake if you look at it that way," Bowles said. "I don't think it's a mistake when we were getting three and outs before that and getting off the field.

"I stand by that decision."

That's fine. There have been worse and more costly decisions by coaches in the past. But this one was compounded by the fire that's burning around him. And now his locker room may soon be an issue. A moody Muhammad Wilkerson, who has 1 1/2 sacks on the season, barely spoke after the game, answering a slew of questions with, "They made more plays than we did." A cranky Sheldon Richardson, a whole half sack to his credit, channeled his inner Bill Belichick, answering mostly "Preparing for Arizona" before (falsely) accusing reporters of "trying to get me to fingerpoint" and getting into a testy confrontation with one.

To be fair, many of the Jets' other players, including the delusionally optimistic Brandon Marshall, showed some accountability. But Richardson and Wilkerson are supposed to be the leaders of Bowles' underachieving defense. It's up to him to get a handle on both of them -- and the rest of the team -- now. "Being frustrated is part of everyday life," Bowles said. "You have to let it go and rebuild and reload. This league is week to week. You can be a Super Bowl contender one week and getting buried the next week. Right now we are getting buried."

Yes they are. And the high bar they set for themselves after last season makes everything look and feel worse. Bowles was a genius a year ago. Now? Not so much. That's the way it is in this league of mood swings. But the man in charge is the one responsible for everything.

If the Jets have any hope of escaping this darkness at any point this season, Bowles is the one who'll have to find the way out.    

>      https://www.sny.tv/jets/news/bowles-takes-blame-for-jets-1-4-start-sluggish-defense/205546062

[j4jets]

On 9/27/2016 at 8:46 AM, JiF said:

So, did the Jets not hit pay dirt now?  haha

And I love how Todd Bowles message to the team is that they need to learn from the mistakes.  It makes me wonder if he has a mirror? 

Oh he does. He's just scared sh*tless to look at it, sort of like he's scared to go for it on 4th & short late in the game.  

[kelly]

-- Todd Bowles' career record is 11-10, which means he has plenty of company in the New York Jets' "21" club.

Three of his four predecessors owned the same record after 21 games -- Eric Mangini, Herm Edwards and Bill Parcells. Kind of a weird symmetry, isn't it ?

Ah, but all records aren't alike. By that, we mean Mangini and Edwards already had one postseason appearance apiece, with Edwards on his way to a second. Parcells would reach the AFC Championship Game in his second season.If you're wondering how Rex Ryan fits into our little historical snapshot, well, he topped them all. His record was 13-8, en route to a second straight trip to the AFC title game.

What about Al Groh ? Ha ! He never made it to 21 games.

As for Bowles, he's still looking for his first playoff berth. It probably won't happen this season. According to Football Outsiders, their chances of making it are 3.2 percent even though they face the easiest remaining schedule.

How Todd Bowles Stacks Up

Todd Bowles has plenty of company in the "21" club of recent Jets coaches.

COACH	21 GAMES	FINAL RECORD
Rex Ryan	13-8	46-50
Todd Bowles	11-10	???
Eric Mangini	11-10	23-25
Herm Edwards	11-10	39-41
Bill Parcells	11-10	29

>     http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/63866/what-todd-bowles-has-in-common-with-previous-jets-coaches

[Integrity28]

3 minutes ago, kelly said:

-- Todd Bowles' career record is 11-10, which means he has plenty of company in the New York Jets' "21" club.

Three of his four predecessors owned the same record after 21 games -- Eric Mangini, Herm Edwards and Bill Parcells. Kind of a weird symmetry, isn't it ?

Ah, but all records aren't alike. By that, we mean Mangini and Edwards already had one postseason appearance apiece, with Edwards on his way to a second. Parcells would reach the AFC Championship Game in his second season.If you're wondering how Rex Ryan fits into our little historical snapshot, well, he topped them all. His record was 13-8, en route to a second straight trip to the AFC title game.

What about Al Groh ? Ha ! He never made it to 21 games.

As for Bowles, he's still looking for his first playoff berth. It probably won't happen this season. According to Football Outsiders, their chances of making it are 3.2 percent even though they face the easiest remaining schedule.

How Todd Bowles Stacks Up

Todd Bowles has plenty of company in the "21" club of recent Jets coaches.

COACH	21 GAMES	FINAL RECORD
Rex Ryan	13-8	46-50
Todd Bowles	11-10	???
Eric Mangini	11-10	23-25
Herm Edwards	11-10	39-41
Bill Parcells	11-10	29

>     http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/63866/what-todd-bowles-has-in-common-with-previous-jets-coaches

Bizarre coincidence.

I didn't realize we have the easiest schedule going forward. That's nice. I've reset my expectations, and don't anticipate going to the playoffs, but it would be nice to not have to suffer an 4-win season. Hope there's still some entertaining football on the short horizon.

[kelly]

-- On the day he introduced Todd Bowles as the coach of the New York Jets, owner Woody Johnson said one of the things that attracted him to Bowles was his plan to oversee the entire operation, not just one side of the ball.

Remember, they were coming off six years of the defensive-minded Rex Ryan, who had a blind spot for offense. Johnson liked the idea of having a CEO-type coach, saying Bowles displayed the ability to "be above just a defensive coordinator" and could "take a 30,000-foot look at offense, defense, special teams."

It took a while, but Bowles is finally rising above the clouds for a better view.

Searching for answers during this three-game losing streak, Bowles said Wednesday he has branched out from his defense-centric role. He wouldn't get into specifics, but it sounds as though he's spending more time with the offensive coaches, if not the players.

"Yeah, I'm doing some different things on both sides of the ball," he revealed.

"I wouldn't call it a bigger role, but more responsibility as far as talking about things? Yes, I am," he said.

It's about time. This was the coach the Jets envisioned on Day 1.Until now, the perception of Bowles was that he cared only about the defense, prompting unflattering comparisons to Ryan. The separation between church and state ... er, offense and defense wasn't a factor last season, but it had to be re-examined because the Jets (1-4) are spiraling toward irrelevance, with questions emerging about Bowles' coaching ability.Unless it was just lip service (and I don't think he's a lip-service kind of guy), Bowles recognized that adjustments had to be made. We're not talking wholesale changes here, folks. He still doesn't attend offensive-player meetings, and he still doesn't have scheduled meetings with his quarterback, which is hard to believe.

Ryan Fitzpatrick said his conversations with Bowles are brief, sometimes as they pass each other in the hallway. Bowles will offer "a nugget or two" about the upcoming game, according to Fitzpatrick, who said he's cool with that kind of relationship because he's not a big talker, either."It's not like he's becoming the quarterback coach, all of a sudden," Fitzpatrick said of Bowles' different role.Bowles still leaves the offense to coordinator Chan Gailey. He still runs the defense and still is involved in the playcalling (even though he said in his first news conference that he wouldn't call defensive plays). But maybe he'll have a better feel for the entire operation by spreading his wings. Lately, the operation has stunk.

Everybody is screaming about the fourth-and-2 punt in Pittsburgh, but it goes beyond that. The Jets have become too pass-reliant, forgetting about the running game in key spots. With an interception-prone quarterback and an inexperienced cast of wide receivers, save for Brandon Marshall, the ground attack should take on a greater importance.The biggest issue is the weekly no-show in the second half. During the losing streak, the Jets have been outscored 37-7 in the third and fourth quarters, easily the worst differential in the NFL over that span. Over those same six quarters, the Jets are minus-six in turnovers and have been outgained by 132 yards. Obviously, Bowles needs to work on his halftime game.

If Bowles weren't so focused on the defense, maybe he'd have a better feel for the flow of the game, allowing him to make decisions (and tactical changes) based on a broad view. A small example: In Week 2, the Jets passed up an obvious two-point conversion attempt because he admittedly was preoccupied with the defense. It turned out to be a nonfactor because they won by six points, but maybe it gave him reason to re-evaluate.No one is suggesting that Bowles start calling plays on offense, but he should take a step back and take that 30,000-foot view his boss was talking about 21 months ago. Maybe he's doing that now. You just wonder if it's too late, because the season is about to vanish into thin air.

>          http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/63848/new-york-jets-coach-todd-bowles-spreads-wings-gets-more-involved-in-offense

[j4jets]

On 10/12/2016 at 10:52 AM, Integrity28 said:

I didn't realize we have the easiest schedule going forward. That's nice. I've reset my expectations, and don't anticipate going to the playoffs,

Wait, why win 7 and miss out on the next Luck? Isn't that your "logic"? 

[Integrity28]

53 minutes ago, j4jets said:

Wait, why win 7 and miss out on the next Luck? Isn't that your "logic"? 

It's kind of sad/funny that you think this is a burn.

Actually, at this point, there's not much you try to throw at me that isn't. The good thing is that you've been holding onto this tidbit since 2013, so we know this combination of pathetic and petty is scaleable for years. 

[Integrity28]

2 hours ago, kelly said:

Searching for answers during this three-game losing streak, Bowles said Wednesday he has branched out from his defense-centric role. He wouldn't get into specifics, but it sounds as though he's spending more time with the offensive coaches, if not the players.

So, Bowles broke the defense and the offense. 

[j4jets]

17 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

It's kind of sad/funny that you think this is a burn.

Actually, at this point, there's not much you try to throw at me that isn't. The good thing is that you've been holding onto this tidbit since 2013, so we know this combination of pathetic and petty is scaleable for years. 

Your stance has always been the same, honey. That is until now I guess. 

[Integrity28]

1 minute ago, j4jets said:

Your stance has always been the same, honey. That is until now I guess. 

You're right, I've always thought you are stupid.

 

[j4jets]

4 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

You're right, I've always thought you are stupid.

 

Says the village idiot. 

[Integrity28]

4 hours ago, j4jets said:

Says the village idiot. 

lol, flailing suits you

[j4jets]

4 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

lol, flailing suits you

Ah, your supposed 'drop the mic' comments. Make you sleep well at night? I hope so. 

[Integrity28]

48 minutes ago, j4jets said:

Ah, your supposed 'drop the mic' comments. Make you sleep well at night? I hope so. 

Conversely, it would appear that your thin skin not only compels you to keep coming back for more, but also projecting the effect of aggravation on your sleep habits.

[j4jets]

2 hours ago, Integrity28 said:

Conversely, it would appear that your thin skin not only compels you to keep coming back for more, but also projecting the effect of aggravation on your sleep habits.

Please come back when you have a comeback.

[kelly]

Something's missing on D. Compared to the 2015 season, the Jets' defense has been dramatically different through five games, despite few personnel changes.

Coach Todd Bowles pointed to turnovers as a main culprit. The Jets have three takeaways this year after forcing 30 last season."Obviously, we have to do some things to try to turn that around," Bowles said. "It comes in bunches. That's probably the biggest thing."

The secondary likely would be a close second. The Jets have given up eight passing plays of at least 40 yards after yielding a total of 11 in all of '15. They rank 31st in passing defense and are worst in the league in passer rating allowed (118.6)."It's on everybody," Bowles said. "[The numbers] are what they are. It's on our whole team. It's on the coaches and the players."

Interestingly, Bowles seemed to absolve his defensive line of blame. The Jets had seven sacks in theirWeek 1 loss to the Bengals. They've recorded five sacks since.

Bowles said Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (sacked once in Week 5) and Chiefs quarterbackAlex Smith (sacked twice in Week 3) got rid of the ball quickly or max-protected against the Jets. Bowles said at Buffalo in Week 2, where the Jets captured their lone win thus far, the scheme was designed to keep Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor (who was not sacked once) in the pocket.

"They're playing very well," Bowles said, "and I'm very happy with the defensive line."

rest of above article :

>     http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000720525/article/marcell-dareus-grapples-with-adhd-all-eyes-on-colin-kaepernick

[Larz]

so I drop my daughter off at the high school football game tonight....it was cold so I gave her a Jets blanket...she looks at me and says. "Dad, will people make fun of me for having this?"

this ******* franchise.....

[Villain The Foe]

4 minutes ago, Larz said:

so I drop my daughter off at the high school football game tonight....it was cold so I gave her a Jets blanket...she looks at me and says. "Dad, will people make fun of me for having this?"

this ******* franchise.....

Lol

[kelly]

@RichCimini if this becomes a lost season do you see a big rebuild in 17 cutting and restructuring big contracts #jetsmail

2:08 PM - 14 Oct 2016

 

@RichCimini: I've got news for you, Paul. I see a lot of moving and shaking next offseason, regardless of how the rest of the season plays out. The Jets have a bunch of older, highly paid players, and some of them will have to be released for the team to get under the cap.I think general manager Mike Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles started out with a two-year plan, taking a win-now approach without destroying their flexibility beyond 2017. Maccagnan likes to call it a "competitive rebuild," which is a fancy way of saying they want to have their cake and eat it, too. It's a difficult thing to do because you're trying to balance present and future. It looked like it was working last season, but it turned sideways in recent weeks.

Right now, the Jets have $166.5 million committed to next season's cap, according to overthecap.com, which projects the base cap at $166 million. A lot of that is funny money, though, because the Jets can dump salary fairly easily.They have two players in the over-30 category with huge cap numbers: Darrelle Revis ($15.3 million) and Ryan Clady ($10.5 million). Neither player will return at those numbers, if at all. Others in the over-30 group are Nick Mangold ($9.1 million), Brandon Marshall ($7.5 million), David Harris ($6.5 million) andBreno Giacomini ($5.1 million). Clearly, Mangold, Marshall and Harris still are productive players, but you can't keep everyone. Giacomini likely won't be back. A handful of other veterans also will be on the chopping block.

So, yes, I see a significant turnover in the offseason, a changing of the guard, so to speak. The good news is, the Jets have 14 rookie/first-year players on the roster (compared to nine in 2015), which gives them a pipeline of young talent. But they need more of it and they need an answer at quarterback. That's a topic for another day.

>        http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/63948/win-or-lose-aging-new-york-jets-headed-toward-offseason-makeover

[HessStation]

I think the most valid gripe fans can have with this entire FO is not only the amount of money but also time spent the entire offseason on this well known remedial, jag, back up quarterback. Not only the money but time spent courting something so completely non-spectacular is 100% on them. 

[kelly]

-- Bruce Arians was so right about Todd Bowles. And so wrong.

In 1985, Bowles wrecked his left wrist in a goal-line drill at Temple University. He landed awkwardly, dislocating six bones and requiring three surgical pins to stabilize the joint. He was a senior captain, hoping to play in the NFL.

No coach wants to crush a player’s dream, but Arians, then the coach at Temple, cared deeply for Bowles and didn’t want to see his heart end up like his wrist -- broken. Arians offered unvarnished advice, suggesting Bowles follow his true calling.“I don’t think you’re going to be making it in the pros,” Arians told Bowles. “You might want to start coaching.”

For perhaps the only time, Bowles didn’t listen to the man who would become one of the most influential figures in his life. Bowles wound up playing eight years as a defensive back in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl ring with the Washington Redskins.Thirty-one years later, Arians can laugh about his miscalculation. Hey, he was right about the coaching thing. His long-ago vision for Bowles became a reality, and that reality will be on the opposite sideline Monday night at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Arians and his Arizona Cardinals meet Bowles and his New York Jets, a mentor-pupil matchup three decades in the making.The NFL has a forest of coaching trees, creating these types of storylines on almost a weekly basis, but what makes this unusual is the time lapse from the start of the relationship to the first on-field showdown.They first met in 1983. Arians was a headstrong coach at Temple, fresh off a gig as a Bear Bryant assistant at Alabama. Bowles was a savvy safety from the projects in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Arians was loud and flamboyant. Still is.

Bowles was quiet and fiercely determined. Still is.

They clicked, forming a bond that has endured through two circuitous journeys to the top of the coaching profession.“He’s like my big brother,” said Bowles, 52, younger than Arians by 12 years. “It went from father-son to uncle-nephew to we’re almost like brothers now.”

Since Temple, they’ve had 18 coaching stops between them, intersecting twice. They were Cleveland Browns assistants from 2001 to 2003, and they reunited in Arizona in 2013. When Arians landed the Cardinals’ head-coaching job, he hired Bowles as his defensive coordinator.“Frankly, I wouldn’t have taken the job without him,” Arians said. “I always felt like I’d be working for him, because I thought he’d start long before I ever got to be a head coach.”

Arians always thought Bowles had coaching potential because of the football IQ he demonstrated on the field. Arians leaned on Bowles, the player, so much that the coach had to throw out half his defensive game plan when Bowles busted his wrist in practice. Arians didn’t trust Bowles’ replacement to run the defense and make the proper pre-snap checks.Those close to Bowles say he’s a combination of Arians and Bill Parcells, Bowles' other coaching mentor. Bowles inherited Arians’ aggressiveness as a playcaller (albeit on a different side of the ball) while learning from Parcells how to maximize strengths and attack weaknesses in the opponent.

“One thing about Coach Arians: He likes smart people, so you’ll have a good relationship with him if you’re a smart player,” Cardinals cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross said in a phone interview. “Todd was a smart player.”

Ross played in the same Temple secondary as Bowles, and he saw how Arians and Bowles -- so different personality-wise -- managed to connect on a higher level.“Todd studies everything,” Ross said. “He’s very thorough. Both guys are very, very thorough when they put things together. They were amazing when they worked together.”

On Monday night, Bowles and Arians will be frenemies.

The game is critical for the Jets (1-4), who have dropped three straight for the first time under Bowles. A loss probably would crush whatever playoff chances remain, setting up a compelling dynamic: Arians is in position to create more misery for his beloved former student.

In tough times like this, Bowles leans on something Arians instilled in him back in the day: The more injured you get, Arians always preached, the more you keep swinging.“Personally, with a guy that almost taught me half of my football life, you try not to let him down,” Bowles said. “In order to not let him down, you’ve got to win the game.

“It’s gratifying to see him get his due, and I try to work hard as best I can not to make him out to be a liar for giving me an opportunity and then giving me this opportunity.”The game within the game will be fascinating because Bowles and Arians will be trying to outsmart each other. Arians calls the plays for the Cards’ offense, and Bowles calls the Jets’ defense. This will be like the 2013 and 2014 training camps with Arizona, when they faced each other every day on the practice field.

Bowles has intimate knowledge of the Cardinals' personnel and scheme, much of which he installed during his two years in the desert. From a cerebral standpoint, the intel gives Bowles a “slight edge,” according to Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer.

The Jets' coach scoffed at that, insisting there’s no built-in advantage. When asked whether he’s worried about overthinking his strategy, Bowles deadpanned, “I’m not an overthinker. I just call it and go.”Not many of his calls have been working this season. The Jets are ranked 22nd in total defense, having allowed a staggering 302 passing yards per game. At times, they’ve appeared helpless, surrendering a landslide of big plays.

Arians isn’t having a banner season, either. The Cardinals (2-3) are loaded with talent on offense, but they’ve struggled at times, especially in the passing game.Both men said they weren’t planning to talk in the days leading up to the game. During the season, they stay in touch via texting every week or so. They talk a lot in the offseason. In fact, Bowles visited Arians at his summer home in Lake Oconee, Georgia.

Bowles’ friends say he hasn’t changed much since his Arizona days. Well, there is one difference: He no longer consumes massive amounts of popcorn while watching game tape. In Arizona, Bowles had a “popcorn fascination,” according to Ross.Bowles rarely removes his game face, but he softened a couple of times over the past few days while talking about Arians.“Words can’t describe how I feel about him,” said Bowles, who once claimed he’d give up his left arm for Arians.

On Monday night, the old Temple captain will face his forever coach, needing to beat him in the worst way.

“I know a lot of people over there, a lot of good friends, but we’ll shake hands after the game,” Bowles said. “During the game, we’re going to try to kill them and they’re going to try to kill us."

>      http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/63942/bruce-arians-todd-bowles-a-coaching-matchup-33-years-in-the-making

[UnitedWhofans]

5 hours ago, HessStation said:

I think the most valid gripe fans can have with this entire FO is not only the amount of money but also time spent the entire offseason on this well known remedial, jag, back up quarterback. Not only the money but time spent courting something so completely non-spectacular is 100% on them. 

Except when most of the media and fans wanted the Jag QB back

[HessStation]

3 hours ago, UnitedWhofans said:

Except when most of the media and fans wanted the Jag QB back

irrelevant. 

[SOJ]

On 7/18/2016 at 4:11 PM, Mainejet said:

Mac SUCKS as a GM. It basically took him a f*cking lifetime to sign Mo - an excellent players and one you can build your defense around. This team will SUCK this season and that's because Mac SUCKED in the draft. WHEN is everyone going to understand that when the Jets have a LOSING record/bad seaon that is a DIRECT indictment on the GM?

Mac does suck .... the CS does there is more talent on this team then in the last few years.  Also, how the hell do you know if Mac has spoken to Bowles about the teams lack of performance?  You don't so stop speculating about what he has and hasn't done cause you do not know. 

[peebag]

On 10/14/2016 at 6:10 PM, Larz said:

so I drop my daughter off at the high school football game tonight....it was cold so I gave her a Jets blanket...she looks at me and says. "Dad, will people make fun of me for having this?"

this ******* franchise.....

I have a Jets comforter that I have for my couch in my man-cave - everyone who visits me without exception tosses it off the couch and says "get that crap away from me"

[kelly]

 -- New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is standing by his men.

Speaking from the NFL owners' meetings in Houston, Johnson gave a vote of confidence to coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan. The team's awful start has prompted faint rumblings about their job security.

"We've got 10 games to go,” Johnson said in an interview with the NFL Network. “I’m very confident with Todd Bowles and Mike. I think we’ve got an excellent team [of leaders]. I really respect Todd; I know he’s doing what he’s going to do. It’s football. He’s a good coach. I have long-term confidence in him and in Mike and in their teams.

“That’s the way I feel. Onward and outward, we’ve had a tough schedule, it’s no excuse. We’ve been in some games. But Monday night was … we have to be better than that.”

Johnson's comments came two days after ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported that Johnson was upset and frustrated by the terrible start.For now, let's take Johnson's endorsement at face value. It's way too early to start reading between the lines. Ten games in the NFL is an eternity, and things can change quickly, as we witnessed with Bowles' change of heart with the quarterback situation. I also remember Thanksgiving, 2005, when Johnson was questioned about his embattled coach, Herm Edwards.

"We love Herm," Johnson said.

A month or so later, he sent him to the Kansas City Chiefs. So, yeah, stuff happens. My advice: Be patient and let it play out.

>           http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/64107/jets-owner-has-long-term-confidence-in-current-regime

[j4jets]

[thebuzzardman]

You know what also hurts besides the Jets being considered a "sad sack" franchise? 

That Rich Cimini is considered a go to expert about them.

 

Fitting, I guess. 

[thebuzzardman]

On 10/17/2016 at 2:02 PM, kelly said:

-- Bruce Arians was so right about Todd Bowles. And so wrong.

In 1985, Bowles wrecked his left wrist in a goal-line drill at Temple University. He landed awkwardly, dislocating six bones and requiring three surgical pins to stabilize the joint. He was a senior captain, hoping to play in the NFL.

No coach wants to crush a player’s dream, but Arians, then the coach at Temple, cared deeply for Bowles and didn’t want to see his heart end up like his wrist -- broken. Arians offered unvarnished advice, suggesting Bowles follow his true calling.“I don’t think you’re going to be making it in the pros,” Arians told Bowles. “You might want to start coaching.”

For perhaps the only time, Bowles didn’t listen to the man who would become one of the most influential figures in his life. Bowles wound up playing eight years as a defensive back in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl ring with the Washington Redskins.Thirty-one years later, Arians can laugh about his miscalculation. Hey, he was right about the coaching thing. His long-ago vision for Bowles became a reality, and that reality will be on the opposite sideline Monday night at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Arians and his Arizona Cardinals meet Bowles and his New York Jets, a mentor-pupil matchup three decades in the making.The NFL has a forest of coaching trees, creating these types of storylines on almost a weekly basis, but what makes this unusual is the time lapse from the start of the relationship to the first on-field showdown.They first met in 1983. Arians was a headstrong coach at Temple, fresh off a gig as a Bear Bryant assistant at Alabama. Bowles was a savvy safety from the projects in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Arians was loud and flamboyant. Still is.

Bowles was quiet and fiercely determined. Still is.

They clicked, forming a bond that has endured through two circuitous journeys to the top of the coaching profession.“He’s like my big brother,” said Bowles, 52, younger than Arians by 12 years. “It went from father-son to uncle-nephew to we’re almost like brothers now.”

Since Temple, they’ve had 18 coaching stops between them, intersecting twice. They were Cleveland Browns assistants from 2001 to 2003, and they reunited in Arizona in 2013. When Arians landed the Cardinals’ head-coaching job, he hired Bowles as his defensive coordinator.“Frankly, I wouldn’t have taken the job without him,” Arians said. “I always felt like I’d be working for him, because I thought he’d start long before I ever got to be a head coach.”

Arians always thought Bowles had coaching potential because of the football IQ he demonstrated on the field. Arians leaned on Bowles, the player, so much that the coach had to throw out half his defensive game plan when Bowles busted his wrist in practice. Arians didn’t trust Bowles’ replacement to run the defense and make the proper pre-snap checks.Those close to Bowles say he’s a combination of Arians and Bill Parcells, Bowles' other coaching mentor. Bowles inherited Arians’ aggressiveness as a playcaller (albeit on a different side of the ball) while learning from Parcells how to maximize strengths and attack weaknesses in the opponent.

“One thing about Coach Arians: He likes smart people, so you’ll have a good relationship with him if you’re a smart player,” Cardinals cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross said in a phone interview. “Todd was a smart player.”

Ross played in the same Temple secondary as Bowles, and he saw how Arians and Bowles -- so different personality-wise -- managed to connect on a higher level.“Todd studies everything,” Ross said. “He’s very thorough. Both guys are very, very thorough when they put things together. They were amazing when they worked together.”

On Monday night, Bowles and Arians will be frenemies.

The game is critical for the Jets (1-4), who have dropped three straight for the first time under Bowles. A loss probably would crush whatever playoff chances remain, setting up a compelling dynamic: Arians is in position to create more misery for his beloved former student.

In tough times like this, Bowles leans on something Arians instilled in him back in the day: The more injured you get, Arians always preached, the more you keep swinging.“Personally, with a guy that almost taught me half of my football life, you try not to let him down,” Bowles said. “In order to not let him down, you’ve got to win the game.

“It’s gratifying to see him get his due, and I try to work hard as best I can not to make him out to be a liar for giving me an opportunity and then giving me this opportunity.”The game within the game will be fascinating because Bowles and Arians will be trying to outsmart each other. Arians calls the plays for the Cards’ offense, and Bowles calls the Jets’ defense. This will be like the 2013 and 2014 training camps with Arizona, when they faced each other every day on the practice field.

Bowles has intimate knowledge of the Cardinals' personnel and scheme, much of which he installed during his two years in the desert. From a cerebral standpoint, the intel gives Bowles a “slight edge,” according to Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer.

The Jets' coach scoffed at that, insisting there’s no built-in advantage. When asked whether he’s worried about overthinking his strategy, Bowles deadpanned, “I’m not an overthinker. I just call it and go.”Not many of his calls have been working this season. The Jets are ranked 22nd in total defense, having allowed a staggering 302 passing yards per game. At times, they’ve appeared helpless, surrendering a landslide of big plays.

Arians isn’t having a banner season, either. The Cardinals (2-3) are loaded with talent on offense, but they’ve struggled at times, especially in the passing game.Both men said they weren’t planning to talk in the days leading up to the game. During the season, they stay in touch via texting every week or so. They talk a lot in the offseason. In fact, Bowles visited Arians at his summer home in Lake Oconee, Georgia.

Bowles’ friends say he hasn’t changed much since his Arizona days. Well, there is one difference: He no longer consumes massive amounts of popcorn while watching game tape. In Arizona, Bowles had a “popcorn fascination,” according to Ross.Bowles rarely removes his game face, but he softened a couple of times over the past few days while talking about Arians.“Words can’t describe how I feel about him,” said Bowles, who once claimed he’d give up his left arm for Arians.

On Monday night, the old Temple captain will face his forever coach, needing to beat him in the worst way.

“I know a lot of people over there, a lot of good friends, but we’ll shake hands after the game,” Bowles said. “During the game, we’re going to try to kill them and they’re going to try to kill us."

>      http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/63942/bruce-arians-todd-bowles-a-coaching-matchup-33-years-in-the-making

He seems wrong on both accounts actually. 0/2

[kelly]

Rich CiminiESPN Staff Writer 

The Jets set a franchise record by allowing only six rushing yards to the Ravens. The previous low was 12 yards, set last November against the Dolphins. In fact, the three lowest single-game rushing totals have come under Todd Bowles.

 

> http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

CLAYTON : DON'T WRITE OFF THE JETS JUST YET

Rallying from 2-5 to the playoffs seems unlikely, especially with unstable quarterback play. That said, the Jets have a friendly schedule ahead, John Clayton writes. Ranking sub-.500 teams (Insider)

 

>    http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

Rich CiminiESPN Staff Writer 

Some perspective on the Jets' win: This was the 72nd time in team history (including playoffs) the Jets trailed by at least 13 points at halftime on the road. They lost the first 71 times.

 

>       http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[Integrity28]

3 minutes ago, kelly said:

Rich CiminiESPN Staff Writer 

Some perspective on the Jets' win: This was the 72nd time in team history (including playoffs) the Jets trailed by at least 13 points at halftime on the road. They lost the first 71 times.

 

>       http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

Sheesh.