Commentary: It Coulda Been Different
Perception sometimes hinges on the slightest turns of fortune. Nowhere is this more true, than in the NFL. A barely deserved win, for a team that is playing well, is often viewed as just an off week by fans and media. For a team playing poorly, the same performance is used as justification for a continuing pillory. For a team, with two straight, tough losses, the weak win is seen as a bright prospect of rosy days ahead. Record and situation are often the determinants of how a game performance is judged, regardless of what happens on the field. This trend has been abundantly evident in the past two weeks regarding the public perception of the New York Jets.
The Jets have been heavily criticized over the last two weeks for being undeserving of their playoff opportunity. The charge, leveled most aggressively by disgruntled Giants’ fans, is that the Jets are in the playoffs only because of a fortuitous schedule. If the Colts and the Bengals hadn’t “laid down,” the popular wisdom goes, a more deserving team, like the Steelers or the Texans would be filling their slot. Naturally, this opinion flies in the face of several facts, such as the Jets beating the Texans head-to-head and convincingly, and the Steelers, down the stretch, losing games to the Raiders, Browns and Chiefs. Still, reality is not the issue, and it has never interfered overmuch with public opinion.
Looking over the Jets’ schedule, nevertheless reveals an interesting twist. Changing the outcome of a single game would, no doubt, have vigorously altered perceptions of the Jets season.
Consider, if you will, the first Bills’ game. It’s week six. The Jets have lost two games in a row, after starting off 3-0. The loss to the Saints was unfortunate, but chalked up to two bad interceptions that cost the team fourteen points. The margin of loss was 14 points. Everyone agrees the Jets’ defense played well. If not for the rookie quarterback on the road, it seems that theJets play even, and maybe win. The loss to the Dolphins is less justifiable. They were outplayed, although it took a last minute touchdown to win it for the Dolphins.
It’s still just a bump in the road. A Jet win in week six, against the woeful Bills, will restore confidence. And, it could have, it should have happened. Despite Sanchez’s poor performance, throwing five picks, and notwithstanding the loss of Kris Jenkins in the second quarter, the Jets were in position to win the game in overtime, mostly on the basis of 300 yards rushing. But, penalties pushed them out of field goal range and they lost it on a 47 yarder by Lindell. If they win, the Jets are 4-2 going into Oakland the following week. Their slide is over. There would still be some Sanchez grumbling after eight picks in three games, but the record is what would have carried the narrative. Even more so, when they went to Oakland and embarrassed them 38-0.
Now the low point of the season comes. In week eight, they lose a humiliating game because of poor decision making in constituting the special teams’ unit, a gaffe by a rookie coach. Worse, they lose their best playmaker on offense: Leon Washington. They are then beaten in a last minute drive by the Jaguars the following week and lose to their division rival the Patriots in week ten. This is the low point of the season. They’re 5-5, after starting out with so much promise. People would be saying, they’re mediocre. Criticism of Sanchez would, no doubt, have caught up with the rookie QB (as it did anyway). Still, they win their next three games and go to 8-5.
At this point, the playoffs talk begins. But, instead of being on the back burner, they’re in the catbird seat with Denver—a front runner for the playoffs.
Then, they lose to a Falcons team they have dominated the entire sixty minutes. They have missed three field goals in improbable fashion. They are 8-6, and it’s week sixteen. However, other teams have played really poorly that week, also. The Jaguars, Dolphins, and Broncos have lost, too. So, the Jets hold their place in the playoff hunt. There is some criticism, but it is restrained by how poorly all the contenders are playing.
The following week, they win at Indy, after the Colts pull their starters. Unfortunate for the league, but it happens. The outcome for the Jets, though is that they clinch the five seed, since every possible opponent has lost. They’re now off the table. A ‘z’ on the standings chart. They play a 1:00 game in the final week because it has no playoff implications. Win or lose (and considering the sorry state of the Bengals, probably an easy win), they go into the playoffs, not as a much maligned team that has snuck in, but as a team that has been a sometimes front-running contender all season.
Thus, an entire season’s criticism all hinged on a few penalties in overtime at Buffalo in week six. One or two mistakes in one quarter of a terrible football game in the early part of a season, could have changed everything. One win, and the Jet’s whole season would have been seen in a different light.
Funny, the way that works.
31 Responses to Commentary: It Coulda Been Different
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greg sec130 says:
File this under “who cares” and stop with the sour grapes. The people that are criticizing us for “wanting credit” and questioning our season and deservedness to be here now are only hoping to see people write what you just did. Let it roll off your shoulders and let’s go Jets!
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And all your ifs and ors amount to nothing — because if one thing happens, another may not. Such as, if they beat BUffalo at home they may lose to Oakland on the road. Part of why they lost to Buffalo was because they are a young, inconsistent team, so laying an egg is not out of the question, as is rolling over Oakland after a loss. You don’t know.
Secondly, if nothing else changes until the second Buffalo game and Darrelle Revis slips on the Toronto turf on the final throw, the Jets lose that game and drop to 5-7. So yeah, you play the if and or but game and this season coulda been different — it coulda been worse.
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HomeOfTheJets says:
I’m pretty sure that after the second patriot game their record was 4-6. Then finished 5-1 to make the playoffs (Da**, should of won the ATL game 2 but the defense couldn’t make the final stand when needed.) So is it plain to say that the Jets could of won 6 straight coming into this game. I hate how other teams like the Steelers, texans, dolphins and Giants fans all think that we are unworthy of our spot. Only game that was MAYBE GIVEN to us was the colts game and even that game was close when Peyton was pulled out. But all the starters was in the game (Besides Peyton) until the jets took a 18-15 lead. Wayne, Clark, Collie. We did what we had to do. While teams like pittsburgh lost 5 straight games and to teams like oakland (A team the Jets clearly handled), KC (IMHO played better then their record the entire year), and Cleveland (A 1-Win team at the time). And a Texans team we annihilated on all sides of the football in Week 1. A Phins Team who with couldn’t win but 3 games outside of the division. A Jacksonville team who plays hard but was a bit below average to begin with. And a Denver team who pulled a 2008-2009 Jets team Collapse. Fact is that the Jets Finished strong while other teams didn’t. Their isnt but one flaw on this team (ROOKIE QUARTERBACK FROM SUNNY CALIFORNIA). With a veteran this team could of been a 12-13 win team. Fact is, if Sanchez limits turnovers and drive the offense to about 17-21 points a game in the playoffs then they Jets WILL be the scariest team in the AFC!!!!!
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JamaicanJetFan says:
No 9 win team has the right to complain about missing the playoffs. It’s as simple as that.
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Again, can people stop taking away losses because they *almost* won, but couldn’t stop the team on the last drive? Is that not part of the game?
And is no one of the belief that they won their last 5 of 6 because they learned from those losses? Am I the only person who is happy they took their lumps in those three or four rough losses, now that we’re in the dance? I know how good they can be, and now so do they — and now they have also seen what can happen when you take talent for granted.
Losing can make you stronger! I don’t understand why people are so worried about how we got here, how it is perceived by others, and how our record could be different for the better or worse. 15-1 teams lose in the playoffs and 9-7 teams have won. The final score against Buffalo two months ago is just meaningless, because like I said, maybe they come out flat against Oakland if they won anyway, so you never know, and anyway, I prefer the resiliancy this team learned from the adversity.
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Final 6 Games:
Fins: 2-4
Jags: 1-5
Broncos: 2-4
Steelers: 3-3
Texans: 4-2
Ravens: 4-2
Jets: 5-1So I don’t wanna hear how we don’t deserve our spot when we clearly was the hottest AFC Wild-Card Team.
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Brendan says:
I agree with you guys whole-heatedly.
“Backing into” the playoffs happens when you lose and still make it. Basically, you’re making it despite yourself. The Jets didn’t back into the playoffs, they were fortunate with how their schedule played out, but by no means did they back into the playoffs.
All the teams & fan bases complaining that we made might want to turn that index finger back around and at themselves. Is it the Jets’ fault the Steelers lost to the Holy Trinity of Suck (AFC edition?) in KC, Oakland and Cleveland? Is it the Jets’ fault that the Titans started out 0-6? Is it the Jets’ fault that the Jags lost their last four games? Is it the Jets fault that after starting 6-0, the Broncos won only 2 of their last 10 games? Is it the Jets’ fault that the Phins lost 4 of their last 6? Houston deserves to be in over us? WE BEAT THEM.
My point being….While every other potential wildcard team was floundering at the end of the year, the Jets started winning and playing their best football of the season. I’m supposed to be embarrassed or feel that my team doesn’t deserve to be there? Sorry, not buying that for a second.
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Brendan – actually it IS partially the Jets fault that the Titans started 0-6, ’cause we beat them!
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NJets says:
Our record is precisely indicative of our true colors. We are tremendously inconsistent but have the talent, the defense, and the running game that can beat any team in any game. This is what makes us such a threat for the playoffs. We are wild and that makes us scary. As a Yankee fan, the only comparison I can make is how I felt about AJ Burnnett going into the playoffs. The guy is wild. When hes on hes unhittable, but when he loses control, he spirals out of control. We are lucky to have what we have going into the playoffs. Believe it or not, our record only alleviates the pressure. Cinci has a great season on the line, we have a whole new mini season starting on tomorrow.
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Bent says: Is this sarcasm? (j/k)
To be 100% accurate, Leon was hurt in the Oakland game.
Since I became a Jets fan in 1986, I think this is the team I’ve had the most confidence in that they could do some damage apart from the 1998 team that went to the AFC title game. 1986′s team was better, but had a ton of injuries and took a five game losing streak into the postseason. I wasn’t sold on the 2002 team until AFTER they stuffed the Colts in the wildcard game. None of Herm’s teams or the Mangini Jets made be as confident that the Jets can play with anyone as this team.
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Rollercoaster says:
All this means we gotta raise hell while we’re in the playoffs and show everyone why they shouldn’t underestimate the Jets.
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NYCPE, good point. Damn us! Damn us straight to Hades!
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TOON2388 says:
I just find it funny that once again the JETS benefit from something that has been going on forever and people cry for rule changes. Replay was brought back the year AFTER Vinny was given bogus TD against Seattle – where was this the year before when we got hosed by Det defensive back lying OB with int that was clearly not an int….cost us the playoffs
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johnsec.125 says:
regardless of how, we’re in. now, let’s make the most of it……. go jets!
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Ducky says:
Interesting. Though, it does ignore the point that with that one extra win the Jets are not fighting for the Wild Card but for the division title and the coverage would shift to all sorts of stories about the Jets/Pats history.
Of course, this type of thing can be done for any one of the teams who were bunched up vying for the Wild Card. Nothing is going to change with the media’s perceptions of the Jets until they have several good seasons in a row. The people who make up the media are not that smart and quite lazy; we have all watched games and read articles where it is clear that the commentators are unfamilar with the Jets except for the broadest memes (Revis good; strong running game; Sanchez throws interceptions; Rex says crazy things). The received narrative now is that the Jets are a hapless franchise (compare them though to the Cowboys who have not won a playoff game in 13 years) and nothing is going to change that besides a Super Bowl appearance or several division titles. Its a shame because if you look at what the NYJ have done over the past 10 years they have been reasonably successful.
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All of this goes away if we beat the Bengals…..If we lose the game all of the nonsense we heard will be “justified” in the minds of Jet haters.
The funny part is most of the “haters” dont sound that different them som eof my fellow “Jet” fans 6 weeks ago.
Let the fans scream and yell about how we backed in or got lucky. When we beat the Bengals they will slowly become very quiet.
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ramble914 says:
What everyone is not talking about is that the Jets should have been 13-3 or even 14-2! If we had a veteran QB who gave us decent QB play, say played with a consistant 85 QB rating, instead of rookie play (and I’m not critizing Sanchez) we would have easily won 3-4 more games. We shutout out NO’s offense, they scored 14 pts off of Sanchez turnovers.
How is that not mentioned?
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drew, my sentiments exactly…. now about the giants…. oops they’re not playing
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WRXWgnNY says:
Funny how all the fans that are complaining are the very fans whose team FELL APART when they needed to win to make the playoffs. Their trying to find someone to blame and its the JETS that their blaming. If the tables were turned and their team was in the playoffs it would be a entirely different story!
Every team that didn’t make the playoffs got had the chance to make it, not our fault their team choked against a less formidable team or decided to go on a winning surge a few weeks too late!
Definitely disappointed in Giants fans to be a part of this, I was hoping they were going to make the playoffs too. But getting blown out when a win was vital says a lot. -
alex says:
i couldnt care less about what anyone outside of jets fandom thinks of my team….I really truly dont.
you know what the crazy part is? i have been following Jets since i was 12(bruce coslet 1992 year ending with a 28-0 loss to the oilers when the win for the jets meant playoffs and Oilers were playing for absolutely nothing)…..i have read all the jets history and know all the greats from the super bowl year and going into the sack exchange of the 80′s and on and on…..
Fact is: I Love This Team…..I love my Jets always and forever but what I am saying is, I love this specific team more than any other Jets team before….I said it!! There!!
I was always so envious and jealous of Steelers fans and the Ravens fans who had a team that was going to smash you, intimidate you, run you over, talk about it and back it all up…have a tough, brash coach who was never scared to say what he felt and why he felt that way….WE NEVER HAD THAT! I dare you Jets fans to name me a team that was tough minded and tough acting at the same time…..NAME IT PLEASE!
thats why to me this is the beginning of the golden era where no matter what the final outcome of the season is I know I will love the way my team represents me and my mentality as well as I’m sure every other Jets fan out there. Lets get this dynasty of smash mouth, smack hitting and smack talking, make you scared before you ever hit the field Attitude continue and i’m willing to take whatever consequences come with it.
LETS GO! i am pumped not because a Jets team made it to the playoffs, but because THIS Jets team made it to the playoffs…..the one that makes you proud as hell being part of that family and screw whoever thinks that we dont belong, they are just going to be a bunch of bandwagon hoppers sooner or later while we will all know who was there all along and always Believed.
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Ramble…
But we don’t have a veteran QB and we didn’t go 13-3. The team that will be playing in the playoffs is the same inconsistent team that had the awful meltdown games. So that team is going to need to play well tomorrow. Regardless of how many games we should of or couldn’t have won. I’m not sure what your point is by point that out? Its not mentioned because it has no bearing on what team is actually playing tomorrow. Its like saying, if we had Peyton Manning we could go undefeated.
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NamVetJet says:
IMO the last two games of the season decided our position in the playoffs. We played the teams we were scheduled to play against who they put on the field and we won. Other teams lost. It is not our problem that players were rested or that other teams lost. There certainly is bit of luck involved in our making the playoffs–luck plays a part in every NFL game that is played. When they set up the current playoff system they called it a “wildcard” for a reason.
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Chris says:
None of this matters. If the Jets lay an egg tomorrow, the complainers will have even more ammo. The good, bad, indifferent, etc during the regular season is gone now. They won some they should’ve lost and lost some they should have won.
At the end of the day, this is a veteran team (other than the obvious) and a team that if the starters stay healthy is talented enough to beat the Bengals. No doubt about it.
But they have to remain smart, disciplined and the coaching must show it has truly improved. If they can’t put it together, they will have done nothing to show their worth. It’s time to see the #1 defense and run game show up in a big spot and prove their the best.
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Bill says:
The people that say the Jets don’t deserve it, or that they backed into the playoffs know absolutely nothing about this Jets team.
This team was outplayed one time this year. And that was the 2nd Patriots game. The Jets were beat that day plain and simple.
Every single other game, they could have and should have won. They lost to the Saints by 14 points. The Int return by Sharper was a 14 point swing alone. He picked off the ball in the endzone, had it been completed, the Jets pick up 7 points, and the Saints lose 7 points and the final score is now 17 – 17. The Jets don’t make the other mistake, and they win the game.
I look forward to Saturdays playoff game, and hope the players on this team have been reading and listening to all those sports experts that say they aren’t a playoff team.
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Andrew Weiss says:
AKA Drew
If we win and face Indy, they’ll be talking about it all week. If the Ravens win, we may hear an end to it since we’ll face the Chargers in round two.
Bent
Only a little. I’ve always been interested in how perception balances on a razor’s edge.
greg sec
Did you get up on the wrong side of the tractor cab this morning?
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NJets,
My point is that, IMO, we are a much better team than our record would indicates. That yes, we were inconsistant, but lately we seem to be hitting our stride and should not be overlooked. That all this BS about our backing into the palyoffs is just that BS!
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SackDance99 says:
The Jets’ record is what it is, but I always like to point out that even with Sanchez’s 20 INTs and growing pains, the Jets lost 2 games because of special teams breakdowns (Miami (at home) and Atlanta) and should have beaten the Bills (at home), despite Sanchez’s 5 INTs, if Hartsock doesn’t get a meaningless holding penalty on a running play in the redzone. Plus, as much as we like to skewer Sanchez, Shonn Greene’s fumble in the 2nd Miami game resulted in a defensive TD, so in that game Miami scored 3 TDs without their offense being on the field. And, let’s not forget the 3 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the Atlanta game. Each one had dire consequences for the Jets. If the Jets win 2 of these 3 games, they likely would’ve won the AFC East and nearly gotten a first-round bye.
My point is, even if you factor Sanchez out and assume he will be a liability, as long as the team doesn’t suffer from special teams meltdowns, fumbilitis or discilplinary lapses, the Jets can win DESPITE Sanchez. On the flip side, if Sanchez doesn’t turn the ball over and the team plays solidly in all other aspects, the Jets are a tough out and, like Bent said, could be a factor in the playoffs. Of course, if like Neo in “The Matrix” Sanchez finally “believes” (that he doesn’t have to win the game, only throws the ball when he’s highly certain of a completion and lets his defense and running game control…like Namath did in ’68-’69), then the Jets could make a shocking run for the title.
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We have what it takes to win in the playoffs. We should not be taken lightly!
Maybe we’ve been witnessing the emergence of Sanchez the last two games (no ints.) , and now maybe the game is slowing down for him. Because even when he has messed up he has still shown flashes of brilliance. If he can limit the turnovers, and make a few key plays during the game, we will be very tough to beat.
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Well that I completely agree with Ramble. It is total BS that we backed in. We didn’t lose to get in. We went 5-1 during the final stretch and had everything against us making it. The fact that everyone else couldn’t match our record, doesn’t mean we backed in.
this team deserves to be in the playoffs. period. there is not one other team in the afc that is not in the tournament that should be in instead of them. plain and simple. just win tomorrow and shut everyone the hell up.