Link: Must Win Week?
Are the Jets in a must-win situation this weekend? Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News seems to think so.
Never has there been so much pressure on a 4-12 team to turn things around quickly and make the playoffs, at the least as a wild card. That just comes with acquiring one of history’s greatest quarterbacks in the league’s biggest media market. It’s not that Brett Favre needs to lead the Jets to a season-opening win for their own benefit, it’s also that they just can’t lose to this opponent.
Even though it’s on the road, New York can’t afford a loss to the rival Dolphins, in an AFC East division game, to a team that finished 1-15 last season and most notably, is now led on the field by the man Favre replaced, Chad Pennington.
Before grabbing Favre, I thought the team would need to go 2-2 in September to be viable, with Week One being one of those wins. I still think that’s the case, but a 3-1 record in September would show that this team means business.
44 Responses to Link: Must Win Week?
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pat d says:
The Jets will surprise alot of people when they are 3-1.
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With wins against Miami, New England and Arizona.
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roof says:
dan i share your sentiment, im rooting hard for chad 14 games next season.
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Johnny Styne says:
If Favre is able to play against the Dolphins Week 1, then we will beat the Dolphins by 2-3 touchdowns Week 1 –
Our bigger challenge will be for Favre and Mangini to keep the team focused for the Cardinals game Week 4 — If we are not mentally prepared to play against the Cardinals that week then our Super Bowl aspirations will be severely compromised –
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AL says:
A good start is important but in the grand scheme of things there are no sure wins or losses in the NFL. The dolphins have a different coaching staff, different QB. Much better running game than us and lots of new players. What they did last year means nothing this year. Just like everyone believes we can shock new england or san diego. A “lesser” team can shock us. At the end of the day we can lose to miami and beat new england and still have the same record people expected otherwise from those 2 games.
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nyckage says:
well i say we might win the NE game because he didnt play in the presaeson and its gonna take him 2 games to get back to normal , miami has to be a win or else man we will be a shame , the cardinals game has got to be a given whether its kurt warner or matt lienart , and the san diego game we have a chance , look at the injuries LT, rivers , gates, merriman, and jamal williams , they got alot of guys the rly rly need injured or was injured
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Evan says:
TMQ obviously despises the Jets considering he only refers to them as “Jersey/B”
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Harlan Lachman says:
Let’s see. We start the off season with a QB and a team with two new OL, one or two new TE, and a real FB for the first time in years. We add a NT who is a real 3-4 NT. We get a OLB who can actually play the position as opposed to just being paid like he can play it. And our two best defensive players get a full camp and an extra year to play. Our FO is in the third year of their reign and they just get back a coach on a medical redshirt. And no major injuries to any starters.
Then we decide to replace the experienced QB with a future HOFer. IOW, there are no excuses.
OTOH, the Fish finish even worse than we do last year. They are in cap hell and lose their two best defensive players. They are in their third FO in three years. The QB they have has as little time with his team as our HOFer does because he is our reject. He is the guy who could not win the job here. IOW, there is no way on paper this game should be close.
If we lose, in fact if we don’t win convincingly, this will be the beginning of the end for the 2008 Jets (just like a blow-out win will be notice to the rest of the league). It will also be the end of hope for this FO.
Harlan
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JustAGreenGuy says:
If Favre loses to Chad in a shoot out. The offseason was a waste. They do not have nearly the team we do. I wish we had gotten Langford instead of them. He is looking pretty good.
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kc says:
ABSOLUTELY,HANDS DOWN,NO QUESTION….MUST WIN GAME!…GOD I cant WAIT for SUNDAY!
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No question a must win. It gets a little tricky with Chad under center but a must win no less. Just imagine how every Jet fan will feel if they do not win this game on Sunday. I see no way Chad puts points on the board against us. i’m calling 27- 13 pulling away late.
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Reprocity says:
There’s a pretty good chance for a ton of rain on sunday from a hurricane which means it’s our running game vs theirs which right now is scaring the hell out of me!
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Matt says:
Biggest Pet Peeve is when the media/fans call for “must win games” before the season even starts. Would it be nice? Of course. But how often does some team get written off for a slow start and then comes back to make the playoffs… Seems like every single year to me anyway.
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Jonathan says:
Would normally roll my eyes at a week one must-win question, but the real question boils down to whether we can rebound from 0-3.
we don’t want to dig out of such a ditch, so a W this weekend is nice insurance against losing to the teams we should (based on current odds) lose to in successive weeks.
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steviek says:
must win? what, season’s over if they lose? c’mon people, hyperbole is great for getting stoked for the game, but 2-2 is still the (minimal) goal here.
everyone has to remember this team will be much better in november than in september, so let’s ride it out. run the ball, stop the run and all should be well sunday.
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Remember Chad’s play versus Tennessee last year — That is all you need to know about this Sunday –
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http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/boatandbeach/tenday/USFL0316?from=36hr_fcst10DayLink_boat
Chad and Farve will be a non factor! Think Mud bowl vs Patriots in 06.
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Slink88 says:
Everyone can relax…this is not a must/win game by any means…Sure it creates a lot of hoopla and hype and folks from either side will be calling off the season depending on whom loses. But it’s all smoke and mirrors and has little to do with how the season is going to go…
Favre may be rusty, the offensive line is still learning to work together, new starters on defense…etc. If it doesn’t all happen week#1 that sucks (granted) but it’s not the season. Anyone who thinks that hasn’t watched enough years of football.
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As much as I desperately want to see Jets football again, I am dreading this game. If the Jets lose — and I know on paper they should win, but the games aren’t played on paper, and you know Chad and the Dolphins will be treating this like their Super Bowl — there will be an unmerciful barrage of “told you so” “Favre is a bust” “horrible free agent spending spree” “Mangini is on the hotseat” “same old Jets” rhetoric that every writer (aside from Peter King) will unload on this team and its fans. It will get ugly fast, and with the Pats and Chargers next on the docket, this team may be completely buried before September is done!
This is almost a “no win” — if they win, well, with everything they’ve done in the off season, they’re supposed to win. And if they lose …. ugh.
Oh, and it’s the Dolphins, too.
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Division Rival who was 1-15 last year, while we bought the best free agents and made solid trades. This is a game you can’t lose if you are going to have a good year.
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R in CT — If they win in glorious fashion it will not be “they were supposed to win” — It will be glorious –
Just remember that as much hype as there has been about Favre, there has been near equal hype about Chad Pennington being a legitimate starting NFL quarterback — He is not — Chad will feed Ricky Williams early as the Dolphins drive down the field for field goals — When the Fish fall behind he will lay out Ted Ginn — It’s going to be a slaughter and it will be great — Jets 34 Fish 13 –
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Matt
I agree. Last year the Giants were written off only to win the SUPER BOWL. -
TJBfan says:
In my opinion every week is a must win week, because when all is said and done you can end up like the Browns last year…good record but wishing you didnt lose that one game you shouldnt have.
Now its also unreasonable to expect the team to never lose…so I’m looking for us to go 3-1 in the first 4 games but the 1 loss isnt to any team in particular.
I also think we can beat the pats and chargers regardless of who may be injured or who isnt at 100%. Just think of it as a true test of what we are capable of. Better to go at it now and get better than to slip into the playoffs and lose because we were never truly tested.
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JustAGreenGuy
Yes the Dolphins lost 15 games last year but 6 of them were by 3 points.
We should win but great teams never take an opponent lightly. -
TJBfan
SO TRUE. You couldn’t have said it any better. -
Oh if I was taking them lightly I wouldn’t be so concerned. That being said it is the Jet’s game to lose. I don’t care if we blow them out, but if we don’t see a W my opinion of this team changes greatly.
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subwayfare says:
I think we’ll win the game handily. And I dread the spin if we don’t. But conventional wisdom says a team with so many new pieces could take time to build some chemistry. I expect the team to get better over the course of the season and hope the people that matter – players and staff – don’t overreact to a couple of early stumbles. No matter who it’s against.
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ramble914 says:
This is absolutely a must win game!! With all the money we spent and the FA’s we brought in, we can’t lose to a 1-15 team. We would be the laughing stock of the NFL.
If we lose we are the “same old Jets” and Miami is the up and coming team. We need to win decisively to put the rest of the league on notice.
If we lose we stand a good chance of being 0-3, and that is a tough way to start the season.
We have to win this game!
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But, I think we will win handidly, like 35-10. I like our team, and think we are going to have a special year.
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Doug from Long Valley says:
I’m counting on the coaching staff having our team ready for Sunday (especially the defense), if they do then Miami’s drives will end in field goals at best.
The defense will buy time for the offense to work out the kinks (like getting the running/red zone games going) which should allow us to win with a decent margin.
Must Win? Yes, if you want to be at 3-1 at the bye. Yes again, if you want to be 2-2. No, if you’re looking at the entire season.
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billvv says:
I don’t think the Jets will score at will, which 35 suggests. I also don’t think the Fish will score many TDs against our D. 27-16.
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Dean Barbella says:
Considering Jets schedule, I’m predicting 2-2 in September… hoping to surprise the Cheetahs, Bolts and praying NOT to lose to the Fish.
Even with a win in Miami, Jets could end up 3-1 with a loss to a promising Arizona Cardinals team.
Tough September!
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dakar says:
there is no way were gonna loose to miami…just because parcells has controll of miami doesn’t mean there gonna beat us…
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The Ed(itor) says:
I agree Game 1 is a must win game. Lose and the JETS could be 0-3 in a blink of the eye. Win and they could be 2-1 or 3-0 after week 3 and in the driver’s seat in the division. So week one is critical to the season.
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Harvlis says:
I can’t see us losing to the Fins. In the past, we would find a way but, with the talent on this team, we should destroy them. I see us winning 31-10. I also see us getting better game by game. I hope Favre has fun with all his new toys. Prediction — Keller has two TD’s.
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kixworld says:
THE JETS MUST WIN THIS GAME FURTHER MORE THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL IS CHAD GOING TO SCORE ON US COUNT ON FEILD GOALS ALOT OF THEM REMEMBER HE CAN GET IT DOWN THERE BUT INSIDE THE 20 WITH THAT LINE I REALLY DONT SEE THAT HAPPENING AND RAIN OR SHINE BRETT OR OUR GROUND COMBO WILL HAVE A FEILD DAY
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Fred says:
Does anyone know how bad the weathers going to be like down there? Because I’m debating wether to start Keller at TE or Ben Utecht against the Ravens.
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JoeMust Go says:
Yeah, yeah, we all know all about the “on any given Sunday” crap. But you’ve got to win the games you’re supposed to win if you’re planning to play in January. I don’t care how much they win by, this ain’t the BCS. Just win the damn game.
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There is and never will be such a thing as a must win opening day game. It would suck if we lose, but with 15 games to go, it won’t mean much. 16 teams will be 0-1 after this week. I don’t want to be one of them, but if you really think it will doom the season then you are Cimini’s, Stein’s, and Schein’s (all lousy NY sports personalities) wet dream.
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Nikolas says:
What a joke! Former opinionators who hedge their bets!! Wow ! This is real conviction.
Now it is not a must win? Losing to the noodle armed QB? Losing to the Downgrade?Losing to the dink and dunk?What a bunch… -
hank/naples says:
Nikolas:
The best part of all this the general opinion among Jet fans was 9-11 win season before Farve and with noodle-arm. Now, with ALL THE GREAT AQUISITIONS we must win in Miami . Note: NOT ONE GUILT ON FARVE !!!! -
Sunday’s weather: 88 with isolated thundershowers. That usually means about 4:30 there will be a downpour. Hanna is wandering around off shore and will not be a factor.
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y-not says:
The jets are going down – BIG!
Beat the stinking jets!!!
I love Chad, but he has to go down on Sunday!!!