Although the Panthers are Cardinals are the leaders in the disappointing-season clubhouse, the Jets have obviously endured a noticeable regression for a variety of reasons.
Despite housing veterans at numerous key spots, the Jets are 3-8 and boast the third-worst record in the AFC — ahead of only the Browns and Jaguars. This becomes a referendum on second-year coach Todd Bowles, but to what degree? Bowles’ 10-win debut in 2015 gave Gang Green its first since 2010, but the subsequent freefall has one of the league’s older rosters at a strange point.
The obvious issue lies at quarterback, where Ryan Fitzpatrick has joined Carson Palmer and Cam Newton as being unable to replicate a career year in 2015. Fitzpatrick’s level of play wasn’t on the level of those passers, but his Jets-record 31 touchdown passes helped the team contend until Week 17. That career year — and the team’s lack of other options — induced Mike Maccagnan to cave and pay the now-34-year-old quarterback $12MM this season. With Fitz and Geno Smith on expiring deals, and Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg being deemed unfit — per Bowles — at this point to be a viable option, the Jets are essentially a rudderless ship offensively despite employing 30-somethings Brandon Marshall and Matt Forte.
Bowles’ defense ranks 12th, though, and still carries one of the best defensive fronts in the game. However, New York’s seen Muhammad Wilkerson take a big step back from his usual All-Pro level, with the broken leg that ended his 2015 campaign clearly impacting his ’16 season, one that comes after his long-sought-after contract extension.
The former Cardinals defensive coordinator’s secondary has failed to live up to the dollars poured into it as well, with a 31-year-old Darrelle Revis not close to the level he was at with the Patriots and initial Jets stint. The 2015 Revis-Buster Skrine–Antonio Cromartie splurge has failed spectacularly. This hits closer to home for the 53-year-old head coach, whose main NFL area of expertise is in the secondary.
However, Maccagnan should probably shoulder a considerable amount of blame for what’s ensued as well. Gang Green boasting incoherent futures at quarterback, cornerback and on the offensive line — and being projected to be over the cap come ’17 — are more on the GM than coach.
But the on-field result has been ugly, with four double-digit losses. So, how much of that blame do you think the organization should place on Bowles? Does he deserve a third year to prove that 10-6 season wasn’t a fluke, or should the Jets blow this up and attempt a full-scale rebuild. Vote below, and leave your thoughts in the comments section!
Understandably, he has dealt with a ton of criticism over his second year. Although I’m not particularly impressed with his in game decisions as a jets fan, I do feel that he deserves at least one more year. He went 10-6 last year and this year the Jets’ stars such as Ryan Fitzpatrick and Darrell revis have been incredibly bad. I think he gets a younger team next year and we’ll see how the team does then.
The answer, of course, is YES! He absolutely should. The problem is that the Jets don’t have a stable QB. Bowles is not the problem. I think he should stay. If they could get a good QB (i.e. Not Fitzpatrick or Petty) they should be fine. I have thought of Hackenberg as the answer to NYJs QB “woes” Throw him into the mix and test those waters. Anyway, Bowles is not the problem, I do think the problem is more so the players on the roster
His QB situation is a train wreck, but most of all he is a defensive coach and his best defensive player Revis has fallen of a cliff this year. Give him 2 more years and take it from there.
I think he deserves more than another year. I think it’s unfair to give a coach one, two or even three years sometimes. You gotta give it time sometimes. Yea they have some good players but they also have some players in decline, some injuries and some players not playing up to expectations. Get rid of the players that are not worth what they are making and give him another two years.
Time to start over.
wrong
This whole season is no on Bowles is on the selfish QB who wonted more money didn’t won’t to sign and waited till the pre season was over Fitzpatrick is a shitty QB always has been
This season is not on Bowles it’s in the selfish QB who wanted more money and yrs and didn’t sign till almost after the pre season Fitzpatrick is a bad QB and all was has been so don’t blame the coach
I agree a couple of games play calling at the end would’ve made the season a little more competitive. But I feel the main problem now like most will agree is that he’s continuing with fitz even though his season has been a train wreck and he’s not the future, yet they’re still starting him over the two young quarterbacks they can try out and see if they can be a eventual star quarterback. And I get the fact that he’s missing two pro bowl receivers, but that’s not gonna save fitz’s job. So unless Bowles makes the switch soon, I’d honestly consider letting him go and get a coach make the right decision for the future of the team. But Bowles showed he’s a good coach last year so hopefully everything works out. Injuries have sorta killed this team, and that’s a GM issue for having a old, injury prone team instead of younger and healthier players. If I were to fire anyone, I’d fire the GM. But blame can go all around. There defense in my opinion is one of the best and have a lot of young players so this team has a great future.
Who’s to say the coach is making that choice to keep starting Fitz i think it’s the owner is making that choice or GM
Outside party looking in… he has had a ton on his plate. Gotta get him some skilled talent at QB… good man, don’t blow it up just yet…
Of course they should give him a third and forth year. With him running the show, it’s one less team for the Patriots to worry about!
Except that the Patriots lost to the Jets and then the Dolphins last year losing home field advantage and then the AFC Championship Game. Your coach was out coached by Bowles that day any way you slice it when you consider it was Ryan Freaking Fitzpatrick vs. Tom Brady. You nearly just lost to this bad Jets team again too.
As a Patriots fan, I say yes!!! Let’s keep the dysfunction rolling.
In 2015, He took over a 4-12 team and brought them to 10-6 with his defense finishing 3rd in takeaways and the offense putting up historical numbers (not that the bar was that high). They should have been 11-5 if Fitz didn’t have a meltdown in the 4th quarter. The biggest issues in 2016 are the 3 highest paid players: Fitz, Revis, and Wilkerson. If the Jets continue to have this revolving door for their coaching staff and front office they will never establish anything. The real problem with this team is the drafts from 2008-2014 didn’t yield much at all, Mo Wilkerson is 27 and already on his 3rd GM, and the always win-now owner refuses to let a GM properly build the roster despite not having a QB. Bowles has certainly made mistakes and you’d like him to be more innovative and aggressive at times but he definitely deserves a 3rd year. You can’t give a coach 2 years of Ryan Fitzpatrick and then fire him and move onto the next when he already took over a bad roster.
Not a Jets fan but I live in the NY/NJ area and he should not be fired. As stated above, he had a winning record in his first year and they probably should’ve made the playoffs. It’s not his fault that Fitzpatrick has been terrible and the rest of his QB stable is either terrible or hurt. To boot, his star defensive player, Revis, fell off a cliff in terms of production. If Gus Bradley got a fourth year, Todd Bowles sure as hell deserves a third year.