{"id":29555,"date":"2015-08-18T12:24:41","date_gmt":"2015-08-18T16:24:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jetnation.com\/?p=29555"},"modified":"2015-08-18T12:31:41","modified_gmt":"2015-08-18T16:31:41","slug":"the-highs-and-lows-of-jets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/2015\/08\/18\/the-highs-and-lows-of-jets\/","title":{"rendered":"The Highs and Lows of Jets"},"content":{"rendered":"

Northwest Airlines flight 85<\/span><\/i><\/a> departed from Detroit, Michigan on October 9th, 2002, en route to Toyko, Japan, a flight path that takes them over the Pacific Ocean. At the helm of this Boeing 747 was \u00a0Captain John Hanson, First Officer David Smith (along with relief Captain Frank Geib and and First Officer Mike Fagan), forming an experienced crew. \u00a0The flight ascended to cruising altitude of 35000 feet as passengers settled in for the long flight across the ocean, and dreamt of reaching their destination and accomplishing the goals of their journey. \u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The New York Jets started out the 2015 season as a cleansing process, making wholesale changes to management and afterwards the roster.<\/p>\n

The Ascension<\/b>: \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

GM<\/b>: \u00a0<\/span>Mike Maccagnan was hired to replace John Idzik<\/span><\/a>, as GM of the New York Jets, ending one of the worst tenures of a GM in recent memory. \u00a0Maccagnan, a veteran scout who worked his way up the system rejuvenated the fan\u2019s hope of having successful drafts, after years of being mediocre at Radio City Music Hall. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Bowles\"<\/a>Head Coach<\/b>: \u00a0After the firing of Rex Ryan, a divisive coach with a staunch set of detractors, as well as believers, the replacement coach was going to be under heavy pressure. \u00a0The pressure only increased when Ryan went to division rival Buffalo. \u00a0However, owner Woody Johnson was patient and eventually <\/span>hired one of the hottest coaching candidates in the NFL in Todd Bowles from the Arizona Cardinals<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0Bowles, had patched together a prominent defense even though it was beset by injuries and carried them to a playoff berth. \u00a0The fact that he comes from the Parcells coaching tree also placated the fan\u2019s fears in transition.<\/span><\/p>\n

OC<\/b>: \u00a0Years of mediocrity on offense had caused fans heartburn, but the <\/span>hiring of Chan Gailey<\/span><\/a> provided new hope. \u00a0An offensive coordinator known for making stars out of scrubs, was just what the doctored ordered for the QB depth chart. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Free Agency<\/b>: \u00a0Mike Maccagnan went on a wild spending spree with Idzik\u2019s savings, and while it couldn\u2019t buy happiness, it definitely improved the roster. \u00a0The biggest addition was the <\/span>return of prodigal son Darrelle Revis<\/span><\/a>, improving on of the worst aspects of the roster. \u00a0Revis was one of the top defensive players in the league, and looked fully recovered from his injury last year playing for the Patriots. \u00a0\u00a0Adorned with a No. 1 cornerback on the team, the Jets went out and <\/span>brought in former teammate Antonio Cromartie into the fold<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0While Cromartie looked horrible two years ago with the Jets, he put in a solid effort last year for Bowles\u2019 defense in Arizona, playing across from Patrick Peterson. \u00a0The secondary was further complemented by the <\/span>signing of Buster Skrine, formerly of the Cleveland Browns<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0\u00a0A slot corner with a nose for the ball, Skrine fits in well as the No. 3 CB on the team. \u00a0The Jets also addressed the safety position by <\/span>signing Marcus Gilchrist of the Chargers to help complete a secondary makeover<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0Unlike past years, the offense was not ignored, and the biggest splash came via a trade with the Bears, <\/span>landing No. 1 WR Brandon Marshall to the roster<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0The offense has lacked a true No.1 for years, and the trade helped them put out one of the more formidable wide receiver duos in the league between Marshall and Decker. \u00a0The Jets <\/span>traded a late pick for veteran backup Ryan Fitzpatrick<\/span><\/a>, who was coming off a knee injury. \u00a0He has experience working with Chan Gailey, and was having a good year last year until the injury. \u00a0The Jets also <\/span>signed veteran James Carpenter<\/span><\/a> to help the offensive line and provide more depth. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"GM<\/a>

GM Mike Maccagnan spent big to address his team’s offseason needs.<\/p><\/div>\n

Draft<\/b>: \u00a0The draft, a yearly exercise in futility and disappointment for the Jets turned around when the consensus best player in the draft,<\/span> Leonard Williams<\/span><\/a>, dropped to the Jets spot at No. 6. \u00a0While there was no clear opening on the defensive line, the value was too much to pass up, and the Jets pounced on the opportunity. \u00a0The pick gave fans hopes of a sequel to the NY Sack Exchange. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Jets also caught a break, when speedster Devin Smith made it to their second round pick. \u00a0The WR from Ohio State is a perfect fit to the Jets roster that needed a deep threat, and his ability to<\/span> track the deep pass would greatly benefit the QBs on the roster<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0A pass rusher in Lorenzo Mauldin, and a project QB in Bryce Petty made the Jets appear atop many post draft articles, praising them for picking highly talented players at appropriate spots. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The lack of controversy and the influx of compliments led to new hope in the air. \u00a0Reports of improvement from Geno Smith and the offense were music to the ear. \u00a0Fans were starting to be optimistic, talks of travelling for games filled the message boards. \u00a0\u00a0However, the best laid plans of mice and men, <\/span>often go awry<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cruising at 35000 feet, Northwest flight 85 was travelling according to the plans, now over the Pacific Ocean. \u00a0The captain and first officer went for their break as the FAA regulates the amount of time pilots can fly the plane consecutively. \u00a0However,<\/span><\/i> soon after, disaster struck when the flight banked to the left at a 40 degree angle<\/span><\/i><\/a>, prompting the first set of crew to return to the flight deck. \u00a0To exasperate the situation, they are in a communication dead zone between North America and Asia, preventing them from declaring an emergency. \u00a0Unbeknownst to crew, the plane has suffered a rudder hardover, causing the plane the lose it\u2019s ability turn using the tail wing. \u00a0\u00a0The pilots struggle to keep the plane flying, as it will only turn to the left, and the closest airport is 500 miles away in Anchorage, Alaska. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The Descent<\/i><\/b>: \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sheldon<\/a>Sheldon 1.0<\/b>: \u00a0\u00a0Sheldon Richardson, one of the few bright spots of the Idzik era, battled fans at the start of the year about his lack of participation in voluntary workouts. \u00a0However, with training camp opening soon, he would be back in camp, and things were supposed to return to normal. \u00a0Then the NFL dropped a bombshell by <\/span>suspending Richardson four games<\/span><\/a> for violating the substance abuse policy, as he had tested positive for marijuana. \u00a0The four game suspension comes after essentially four positive tests, thus clouding the future of Richardson with the team. \u00a0\u00a0He showed up to camp, and vowed to put the events behind him. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sheldon 2.0<\/b>: \u00a0Practically minutes after asserting that he learned a lesson from his suspension and that the negative news was behind him, stories broke about how <\/span>Richardson was arrested in Missouri.<\/span><\/a> \u00a0The list of possible charges included resisting arrest, child endangerment, traffic violations for possibly racing at over 140 miles per hour, and a personal report from the officer regarding the smell of marijuana in the car. \u00a0The news was made worse by the fact that Richardson did not disclose this information to the Jets. \u00a0While the charges were reduced to avoid jail time, there lingers the possibility of an additional suspension resulting from a violation of the NFL\u2019s personal conduct policy. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Devin Smith<\/b>: \u00a0While Geno Smith looked on in amazement that a WR could actually readjust to the ball, Devin Smith hurt himself making a circus catch. \u00a0<\/span>Broken ribs and a punctured lung has ended the preseason for the talented WR<\/span><\/a>, and his status for the season opener is in doubt. \u00a0The Jets need speed in their starting offense, so any time missed by Smith can have adverse effects on the offense. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

MMA<\/b>: \u00a0\u00a0Promising second year player IK Enemkpali and starting QB Geno Smith got into an argument resulting in <\/span>Smith getting punched in the face<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0The QB is slated to miss 6-10 weeks, leaving him out for the entire preseason, and possibly numerous weeks into the season. \u00a0A huge setback for a team that needed the third year QB to step up this year, in a make or break season. \u00a0The Jets have a good backup in Ryan Fitzpatrick, but other teams don\u2019t trade QBs for a 7th round pick unless the guy is a backup quality player. \u00a0Fitzpatrick is also coming off a major injury, so any setbacks in that aspect will cause the Jets to turn to unproven rookie Bryce Petty. \u00a0While the argument of who might be better this season is close between Fitzpatrick and Geno, the team was much better off starting with Geno Smith and finding out if he had made any improvements because the other option is restarting the QB development process with a draft pick next year. \u00a0To top it off, punching out the starter at the most important position on the team earned IK a quick ticket out of town, and the Jets lost someone who was showing promise during training camp. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

TE<\/b>: \u00a0The Jets picked Jace Amaro with their selection in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, and many assumed he would take a large step forward this year. \u00a0However, besides public jabs at former coach Rex Ryan, Amaro has been all but invisible in camp this year. \u00a0To add injury to insults, he injured his shoulder in the first pre-season game and the <\/span>severity of the injury is not clear<\/span><\/a> as of now. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Flying at 35000 feet and facing disaster, the pilots of Northwest flight 85 disengaged autopilot, and took manual control of their plane. \u00a0They circumvented the communication dead zone by first contacting another Northwest flight in the area, and having them convey the declaration of emergency. \u00a0The lower rudder at the tail of the plane had malfunctioned, causing the plane to bank left and making turns all but impossible. \u00a0When they contacted Northwest support to find a solution in the guidebook, they couldn\u2019t find anything, and had to improvise on the spot. \u00a0They started to maneuver the plane by varying the power to the engines, causing the plane to bank towards the under-powered side, and effectively using that as a steering option. \u00a0Their precarious situation also meant that they had to nail the landing in the first try, so failure was not an option. \u00a0The plane landed safely in Alaska, with 386 passengers and 18 \u00a0crew members walking away without major injuries. \u00a0The folks on board were saved, because the leaders of the crew assessed the situation, and took control of the plane. \u00a0When there was no solution on the books, they improvised, mixed and matched, and landed them safely. <\/span><\/i>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The New York Jets did not have the best start to their pre-season. \u00a0And while the game of football pales in comparison to a mid-air emergency, the process to recover from the disastrous start is not to sit back and watch. \u00a0The direction of the Jets season will depend on how the leaders on the team will step up, take control of a team that seems to be spiraling downward, and right the ship. \u00a0If they are creative and innovative with the situation that they have been dealt with, the season still stands a chance to be successful. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Northwest Airlines flight 85 departed from Detroit, Michigan on October 9th, 2002, en route to Toyko, Japan, a flight path that takes them over the Pacific Ocean. At the helm of this Boeing 747 was \u00a0Captain John Hanson, First Officer David Smith (along with relief Captain Frank Geib and and First Officer Mike Fagan), forming […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":23504,"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":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6,1337],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-29555","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-featured-editorials","8":"category-home-slider"},"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Richardson.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peLffi-7GH","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29555","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\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29555"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29555\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29561,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29555\/revisions\/29561"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}