{"id":1887,"date":"2008-12-15T16:47:45","date_gmt":"2008-12-15T21:47:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jetnation.com\/?p=1887"},"modified":"2008-12-15T16:47:45","modified_gmt":"2008-12-15T21:47:45","slug":"will-the-jets-get-a-letter-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/2008\/12\/15\/will-the-jets-get-a-letter-this-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Will The Jets Get A Letter This Year?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"textMedBlackBold\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/jetnation.com\/graphics\/Articles\/logo\/nfl.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"105\" height=\"124\" \/>By Andrea Adelson<\/div>\n<div class=\"textMedBlackBold\"><\/div>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/nbcsportsmedia1.msnbc.com\/i\/msnbc\/Components\/Sources\/Art\/APTRANS.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" hspace=\"0\" vspace=\"0\" width=\"140\" height=\"20\" \/>\n<div class=\"textTimestamp\"><span id=\"udtD\">updated <span class=\"time\">4:49 p.m. ET,<\/span> <span class=\"date\">Tues., Jan. 4, 2005<\/span><\/span><script>\n\t\tfunction UpdateTimeStamp(pdt) {\n\t\t\tvar n = document.getElementById(\"udtD\");\n\t\t\tif(pdt != '' &amp;&amp; n &amp;&amp; window.DateTime) {\n\t\t\t\tvar dt = new DateTime();\n\t\t\t\tpdt = dt.T2D(pdt);\n\t\t\t\tif(dt.GetTZ(pdt)) {n.innerHTML = dt.D2S(pdt,((''.toLowerCase()=='false')?false:true));}\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t\tUpdateTimeStamp('632404721848100000');<\/script><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. &#8211; Jets coach <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Herman Edwards<\/span> Eric Mangini flashed a sly grin and held up a letter from commissioner <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Paul Tagliabue<\/span> Roger Godell, congratulating the organization for making the playoffs <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">a third time in four years<\/span> a second time in three years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">\u201cIt\u2019s official,\u201d <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Edwards<\/span> Mangini said Tuesday in a defiant tone. \u201cWe get to go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\"><span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Edwards<\/span> Mangini, trying way too hard to dispel the notion his team backed into the postseason, has preached relentlessly this week that the Jets are good enough to be in the playoffs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">Never mind that they dropped <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">three of their last four games<\/span> two of their past five games, including the <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">regular-season finale to St. Louis<\/span> back to back games against Denver and San Francisco.\u00a0 No matter that they have sagged after starting <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">5-0<\/span> 8-3 and have a suddenly <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">average defense and an ailing quarterback<\/span> no wait that part is correct no edit required.<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">\n<table style=\"padding: 5px 15px 0pt 0pt;\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"left\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><script>getCSS(\"3053751\")<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"box_3053751 sitewrapperbox cbx\" style=\"width: 152px;\"><script><\/script><\/p>\n<table class=\"boxH_3053751\" style=\"width: 152px; height: 34px;\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"boxHC_3053751\" width=\"*\">\n<div class=\"hauto textSmallBold\">NFL playoffs<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table class=\"boxB_3053751\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"152\">\n<tbody>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td class=\"boxBI_3053751\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Is it really enough just to make it to the playoffs, as <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Edwards<\/span> Mangini and his Jets contend? Not this time around. Not after such <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">a promising start<\/span> an expensive off-season.\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">\u201cDo we have to show someone that we\u2019re worthy?\u201d receiver <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Santana Moss<\/span> David Clowney said. \u201cI don\u2019t think so. If we just go out there and play how we played when we won games, that\u2019s what we can do. Just making it this far has given us another chance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">They need to make the most of it, or this season could be a failure, no matter how many times <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Edwards<\/span> Mangini says that making it this far is accomplishment enough.<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">Sure, they went <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">10-6<\/span> 11-5 after finishing a disappointing <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">6-10<\/span> 4 and 12 last season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">Sure, <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Edwards became the first coach in the 45-year history of the franchise to lead the Jets to the playoffs three times<\/span> Mangini has gotten them to the playoffs two out of three times.\u00a0 But they needed to hang on to do it after failing to clinch a playoff berth on their own in losses to <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">New England and St. Louis<\/span> Denver and San Francisco in the <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">last two<\/span> past few games.<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\"><strong>A nice fruit basket should be on its way to Buffalo as a measure of thanks<\/strong>. <em>(EDIT: This is even more true this time around).<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">If the Bills had beaten <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Pittsburgh<\/span> the Jets last weekend, the Jets would be sitting at home dreaming about <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">San Diego<\/span> Tampa instead of heading there for Saturday\u2019s wild-card game. So many contend the Jets backed into the Super Bowl chase without earning it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">\u201cYeah, Buffalo put forth a great effort, but we got off to a better start than they did,\u201d running back <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">LaMont Jordan<\/span> Thomas Jones said. \u201c<span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Herm<\/span> Eric always stresses it\u2019s a race to 10. We got to 10 first. It doesn\u2019t matter how you get to the playoffs. The bottom line is you\u2019re there.\u201d\u00a0 <em>(EDIT: Going to take 11 this year Herm).<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">Sounds like the mantra <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Edwards<\/span> Manginihas fed to his team this week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">He defended his team for winning <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">10<\/span> 11 games, even though it hasn\u2019t beaten the <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">upper<\/span> lower echelon of the league, and questionable coaching decisions cost the Jets victories over <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Baltimore and the Rams<\/span> the Patriots, Chargers, Raiders, Denver and 49ers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">\u201cIt\u2019s like getting on the bus,\u201d <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Edwards<\/span> Mangini said. \u201cSome people get on the bus and go to the back. Some people get on the bus and ride in the front. Don\u2019t matter. As long as you\u2019re on the bus. We\u2019re on the bus. That\u2019s all that counts at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\"><span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Not really. The Jets need to prove they can beat a high-quality opponent. They have gone 2-4 against playoff teams, with a victory over San Diego 34-28 in Week 2. But both teams are vastly different now. The Chargers are on a roll, while the Jets are in a slump. Drew Brees became a Pro Bowl selection after getting benched in the loss to New York.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\"><span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">The way the Jets are playing, their chances of going anywhere are slim. They have scored one offensive touchdown in each of their last two games, treating the red zone as if it were a biohazard area. Chad Pennington is still hampered by a sore right shoulder. The Jets abandoned the running game, their best weapon, late against the Rams.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\"><span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">The defense, with seven second-half shutouts, has given up a combined 28 second-half points in the last two games, while surrendering over 450 yards passing to Marc Bulger.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\"><span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\"><\/span>\u201cIt\u2019s important for fans and people interested in the Jets to say the Jets do have a good team,\u201d <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Pennington<\/span> Kellen Clemens said (Favre left early to go hunting). \u201cThey can beat the <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Chargers<\/span> Ravens in their first playoff game, they\u2019re not a hoax.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">The Jets are <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">1-2<\/span> 0-1 in the playoffs under <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Edwards<\/span> Mangini, with the lone win coming <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">after the 2002 season, a rout of Indianapolis in the only home game<\/span> never.The last time they won a playoff road game was Jan. 15, 1983, when Richard Todd led a 17-14 upset of the Los Angeles Raiders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">\u201cWe haven\u2019t won a championship yet,\u201d <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Edwards<\/span> Mangini said. \u201cThe only way you can do that is you got to go to the playoffs. You can\u2019t talk about going, you got to get in there and go. You can\u2019t win it by saying, \u2019We almost got there, maybe next year we\u2019ll get there.\u2019 There\u2019s no next year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"textBodyBlack\">The way they have played the last month, there may not be a next game after Saturday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textBodyBlack\"><em><\/em><em>\u00a9 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<\/p>\n<p>http:\/\/nbcsports.msnbc.com\/id\/6786724\/<br \/>\n<\/em><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Andrea Adelson updated 4:49 p.m. ET, Tues., Jan. 4, 2005 HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. &#8211; Jets coach Herman Edwards Eric Mangini flashed a sly grin and held up a letter from commissioner Paul Tagliabue Roger Godell, congratulating the organization for making the playoffs a third time in four years a second time in three years. \u201cIt\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6,14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1887","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-featured-editorials","7":"category-nfl-news"},"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peLffi-ur","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1887\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}