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After year of thinking small, it's time for Jets brass to raise the bar

Gas2No99

By Gas2No99
in NY Jets Forum

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Gas2No99

Gas2No99

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After year of thinking small, it's time for Jets brass to raise the bar

 

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Todd Bowles tried to set the tone for 2018 with his "no-excuses" speech in his final team meeting Monday, and now the message must be reinforced by acting owner Christopher Johnson and general manager Mike Maccagnan. They meet the media Tuesday, and their words -- especially those of Johnson -- will help set expectations for 2018.

It can't be a repeat of last season.

This time, the New York Jets can't be satisfied with progress and improvement, the buzz words that Johnson used at the start of the season. He was actually referring to his marching orders for Bowles, whose job was on the line, but the winning-is-secondary mantra stuck to the entire team. It was a fair and honest assessment of the situation, but it helped create a narrative -- later fueled by the media -- that set the bar at an extraordinarily low level.

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Jets receiver Jermaine Kearse says that it's a trap for the team to have low expectations. Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire

At first, the Jets embraced the doomsday predictions. The 1-15 and 0-16 talk probably galvanized the team, especially during its surprising 3-2 start. Then, the Jets started losing games, like everyone said they would, and the low expectations became a crutch. You could hear it and feel it in the locker room. There was a sense of accomplishment when they got to five wins, even four. Nobody expected them to win that many games, so it was as if they already had proved the critics wrong.

It wasn't said directly, of course, but the standard seemed to shift along the way. Suddenly, it was OK to be competitive -- and they were, losing six games by eight or fewer points. The fan base may not want to hear this because it references the other team in town, but New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, in his introductory news conference, said he'd rather have players who hate to lose than players who love to win.

In my opinion, that can be applied to the Jets. They need more players who hate to lose. This isn't a criticism of Bowles, who did a terrific job of fighting off the early-season negativity that surrounded the team. Eventually, the team got lulled into a state of contentment. The Jets played hard every week -- that was obvious -- but they didn't play like a team that wanted to be great. Don't take my word for it; listen to Jermaine Kearse, a former Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks.

"I think that's definitely a trap," he said of low expectations. "From outside sources, the expectation for us was going 0-16. Us winning five games, it almost feels like a pat on the back, but it's a false reality. It's a false sense of confidence because we're ultimately 5-11, and that's not going to cut it in this league.

"From my perspective," Kearse added, "there were too many excuses -- a lot of woulda, shoulda, coulda."

The veteran wide receiver acknowledged he didn't expect the Jets, in rebuilding mode, to be title contenders overnight. This type of season, he said, is part of a team's evolution. Indeed, they weren't the first team to get snagged in the trap.

 

Bowles downplayed that notion, insisting "guys weren't happy at all. We knew we could play better, and we should be angry in the offseason, and we should be angry looking at playoff games, and we will be."

Yet, he felt compelled to make it the theme of his season-ending address. Several players said his message was simple and direct: No excuses in 2018 and players must raise the level of accountability.

"I thought his message was right on point," Kearse said. "He said we're either going to be serious about this or we're going to continue to pretend. I'm not in the field of being a pretender."

Bowles struck the right chord, but it'll take more than the coach to raise the expectation level for the franchise. It has to come from the higher-ups, too. They must convey to the fan base -- and, more importantly, everybody at 1 Jets Drive -- that mediocrity no longer is acceptable. Progress, shmogress. It's all about the W's and the L's.

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dbatesman

dbatesman

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9 minutes ago, Gas2No99 said:

At first, the Jets embraced the doomsday predictions. The 1-15 and 0-16 talk probably galvanized the team, especially during its surprising 3-2 start. Then, the Jets started losing games, like everyone said they would, and the low expectations became a crutch. You could hear it and feel it in the locker room. There was a sense of accomplishment when they got to five wins, even four. Nobody expected them to win that many games, so it was as if they already had proved the critics wrong.

Extensions for everyone!

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TuscanyTile2

TuscanyTile2

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6 hours ago, jeremy2020 said:

6-10 next season, baby! Are you ready for it?! Season after that...7-9! The rebuild of mac's original rebuild is working!

"Bowles only surrendered twice this year!  The rebuild of the rebuild of the rebuild is working!"

 

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flgreen

flgreen

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LOL

Chris Johnson has already stated that there would be no play off mandate again this year.  

This nonsense about this is a tough rising team because they lost 6 games by 8 or fewer points borders on funny.  Kotite lost 6 games his last year here by 5 or fewer points...............By today's Jets' standards he should have been given an extension instead of being forced to move to a cave in North Dakota.   

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southparkcpa

southparkcpa

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22 minutes ago, flgreen said:

LOL

Chris Johnson has already stated that there would be no play off mandate again this year.  

This nonsense about this is a tough rising team because they lost 6 games by 8 or fewer points borders on funny.  Kotite lost 6 games his last year here by 5 or fewer points...............By today's Jets' standards he should have been given an extension instead of being forced to move to a cave in North Dakota.   

Loser brother to loser owner.......  Parcells and Billicek left for ONE SIMPLE REASON.

TRUST FUND baby has no idea what it takes to succeed.  

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flgreen

flgreen

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What's really funny about this is, it was the media that fabricated the idea that the Jets were going 0-16.  Just as a stick in the eye.  I knew the Jets had a bad team, I also would have bet they would win some games.  The over/under win totals were 4 1/2.  That's what the expectations  were for the Jets, not 0.

The media created this myth, and are now going to blow it up what a great job Bowels did by over achieving. 

Funny thing is, people are buying into this crap again.  The expectations that were from people who put their money where their mouth is, was 4.5.....They won 5 so I guess they did over achieve.....I guess   

 

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flgreen

flgreen

Posted
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2 minutes ago, Larz said:

This place is so depressing 

Lighten up guys 

LOL

Depends what happens here Larz.  The Jets really are in a situation that they should actually make the play offs next year.  

I'm not real sure most of the fans, out side the Johnson's, and Mehta, have a lot of faith that our current FO, and CS are going to make the right decisions with the draft picks, and cap space to make that happen

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