Late last week I wrote a blog saying the Jets need to make the playoffs this year – no excuses.
They have missed the playoffs seven years in a row. Enough already.
@ryansmith1983 tweeted, “Which QB inspires playoff aspirations, the 40-year- old that never been there, the one coming off a career-threatening injury or the 20-year-old rookie?”
@OBRIEN2TOON tweeted, “No they don’t. They need to improve both on the field and in the standings. 7-9 to 9-7 is a reasonable marker especially if Darnold plays at some point and progresses.”
Let me respond to these two fans who I respect.
I evaluate teams based on wins and losses. There are no caveats in my world.
This is a multi-billion business. Your job as an NFL team is go out every week and win football games.
Perhaps you agree with the first guy who doesn’t think the Jets have a QB who can take them to the playoffs in 2018, but that’s not my problem as a reporter.
As I mentioned, this is a team that has missed the playoffs seven straight years which is inexcusable in a very watered-down league. There are A LOT of pedestrian teams.
For goodness sake, the Buffalo Bills, in a rebuilding year, with far from an ideal QB situation, made the playoffs last season.
The prior two years, Houston made the playoffs without an elite QB.
You figure out a way to manufacture wins like Sean McDermott and Bill O’Brien did.
The Jets have gone 5-11 in back-to-back seasons under the leadership of Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan. Are we supposed to lower the bar for this team in the fourth year of their leadership?
Absolutely not.
The Jet had close to $100 million in cap space entering this off-season. Did they sign all those players to not make the playoffs? Do you give a cornerback, Trumaine Johnson, a five-year deal for $72 million with a $20 million signing bonus, and $45 million guaranteed to not make the playoffs?
That doesn’t make sense.
I’m sorry if this bothers people, but I think the Jets need to make the playoffs this year.
Missing the second-season eight years in a row in a league build for parity is unacceptable.
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