Jets: Psst, Woody…Time for a Reset

By
Updated: November 7, 2014

Woody Johnson photo by Anthony Quintano

When a plane flew over the Jets practice the other day with a banner reading, “Fire John Idzik”, it could be dismissed as a futile gesture by a frustrated fan. On the other hand this is the thin-skinned Jets, without a plan and ultra-sensitive to public perception. Pressure is building for a housecleaning of GM Idzik and Coach Rex Ryan.

This 1-8 Jets start is a total disaster. The team was poorly assembled…

  • Courtesy of sportstalkflorida.com

    Courtesy of sportstalkflorida.com

    Without a QB of the future or a reliable backup,

  • A secondary that is historically bad, currently having allowed 24 TD receptions vs. 1 interception, and
  • Going into the season $20 M under the salary cap

Even given the limited roster the Jets appear to be badly underperforming their talent level, which reflects on coaching. Add in the fact that in the 6-year Rex Ryan regime not a single offensive player has been developed (where in fact free agent veterans have suffered), and the rationale for a housecleaning is complete.

Idzik keeps talking about a plan for “sustainable success” but it now looks like an empty promise from an empty suit. Rex has overstayed his welcome as a players’ coach with a lack of team discipline and accountability. Team fortunes have declined year by year. They should be gone and gone.

The problem for Jets fans is you’d like to do a total housecleaning beginning with Owner Woody Johnson, where the broom then meets GM Idzik and Coach Ryan. But of course that’s unrealistic. Owners give themselves a lifetime pass, especially one who was “born on 3rd base”.

Courtesy of memecrunch.com

So what’s the solution? There does happen to be a model for success, in light of incompetent or ineffective ownership…league intervention:

  • In 1979 the New York Giants had suffered through poor management and bad decisions due to ownership (Wellington Mara and nephew Tim Mara) that couldn’t agree on anything. Commissioner Rozelle stepped in to mediate the dispute and recommended George Young as GM. Young drafted Phil Simms and hired Bill Parcells and we know how that all worked out.
  • While the situation was not as overt it’s generally understood that Sandy Alderson was hired as GM by the Mets in 2010 on the rec of the Commissioner’s office in order to protect them from themselves. This occurred in the wake of the Bernie Madoff fiasco, major cost-cutting by a big market team and inept management. The grade for this move is still an Incomplete but all signs are pointing up in Met-Land.

Could Woody take such a lifeline from the office of the Commish? Given his poor judgment and his 3rd-base delusions-of-adequacy, chances are probably slim. And with Roger Goodell’s seat running ultra-hot with the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson issues, he’s got bigger fish to fry than saving Woody. It’s very unlikely the NFL would take the lead right now in an attempt to prop up the Jets.

Photo by Ed Yourdon

Sorry Jets fans. Even if Woody throws Idzik and Rex overboard we all know Woody will likely reload with weaker replacements. And blessed with a top draft position and in need of a franchise QB (and Back Page attraction), history says they’ll overreach with a risky and unproven celebrity QB…draft Jameis Winston? Trade for Johnny Manziel? Those would be classic Jets moves and we could all predict how it would work out for them.

Sorry Jets fans, we’re finding out what it means to be green.

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