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3:45:00 PM EST
Lupica: Jets Worse Than Knicks
Think about this: Think about the fact that going into Saturday's Knicks-Bulls game at the Garden, the Jets had the same record as the Knicks. And that really means the Jets are worse, because they were in the playoffs last season, and that gave their fans some hope, and Knick fans never have that anymore.
Now the Jets show up on national television on Thursday and barely compete against the Cowboys, a first-round loser in the playoffs, same as Eric Mangini's Jets were last January, but a team with a real quarterback now, one that looks ready to make a Super Bowl run this January.
To use an old Parcells expression, we anointed everybody, starting with the new coach, when the Jets did make their playoff run a year ago. And right now the only difference between Eric Mangini and somebody like Isiah Thomas is that Mangini doesn't hear it from his fans the way Thomas does.
Yes, folks, you heard it right. The Jets winning 10 games and making a trip to the Playoffs somehow makes them a worse franchise than the Knicks, who are without a postseason win since 2001. The Jets at least have some sense of direction. They are slowly building a team through the Draft and trying to make smart free agent signings. It will take years. They are looking to avoid the high-profile busts that can cripple a franchise, much like Isiah Thomas has done to the Knicks. Lupica continues.Mangini has no offense and he has a kid, Kellen Clemens, at quarterback, and guess what? The coach has no idea whether the kid has the real goods to be a real NFL quarterback or not. He still made the move off Chad Pennington, and one of the things that did, whether Mangini wants to admit that or not, was make this all seem as if Pennington were the cause of this disaster.
As if it is Pennington's fault that Thomas Jones still doesn't have a rushing touchdown and Mangini's team has managed just 14 offensive touchdowns in 11 games.
And maybe it is Pennington's fault that most Sundays the most dangerous offensive threat is Leon Washington.
Pennington was not doing a good job. The Jets had a younger guy available who they were grooming to be the quarterback of the future. They decided to get him some experience since the season was all but over. Thomas Jones had nothing to do with that decision. Does anybody on a 2-9 football team have a right to complain about losing his job? Pennington was not the only problem, but he was part of the problem. Lupica knows this. Reactionaries like him probably expected Kellen Clemens to come in and play like Peyton Manning in his first game. Rest assured, Mike would be the loudest guy ranting and raving about Mangini being too loyal to his quarterback if Pennington was still the starter. Sensationalist drivel like this is what makes the New York media so lousy.Written by georgecoztanza Blog about this entry |
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