Careful what you wish for. On December 30, 2018, Jets fans were overjoyed when they learned head coach Todd Bowles was canned. Fast forward three years, and fans have endured at least one head coaching failure and may be questioning whether they should have kept Bowles after all.
Bowles made a name for himself as a defensive backs coach, and following a two-year stint as the Cardinals defensive coordinator, he was hired by the Jets to replace Rex Ryan in New York. The organization clearly had high hopes for their hire; they gave Bowles a four-year pact despite his lack of heading coaching experience (he had a brief stint as interim HC with the Dolphins in 2011).
The Jets new on-field leader was inheriting a team that had dropped to 4-12 in 2014 … their worst record in seven years. Thanks to a reinvigorated defense that emerged as one of the best in the NFL (and thanks in part to Geno Smith‘s broken jaw, which thrust veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick into the starting lineup), the Jets improved to 10-6 during Bowles’ first season at the helm. However, the entire squad took a major step back in 2016 when they finished 5-11, and Bowles was firmly on the hot seat heading into the 2017 campaign.
The Jets had an identical record in 2017, but the Josh McCown/Bryce Petty-led offense wasn’t completely incompetent and bought Bowles another year. There was some optimism with first-round QB Sam Darnold taking over under center in 2018, but the Jets finished with only four wins, the worse showing of Bowles’ tenure and the organization’s worst record since, well, Ryan was fired. So, on this date three years ago, the organization fired Bowles and began their search for their 19th coach.
“After carefully evaluating the situation, I have concluded that this is the right direction for the organization to take,” Jets CEO Christopher Johnson said in a statement. “I would like to wish Todd, Taneka and their family only the best.”
We all know how this worked out. The organization initially decided to hang on to general manager Mike Maccagnan, and the organization settled on Adam Gase to replace Bowles. After allowing their GM to hire a new head coach, run the draft, and deal with the early wave of free agency, the organization curiously fired Maccagnan before the offseason concluded. Gase managed to improve the squad to a 7-9 record in 2019, but following a 2020 season that saw the Jets win the second-fewest games in franchise history (two), Gase was fired.
While the Jets are still trying to land on their feet, Bowles has made out pretty well for himself. The coach was hired as Bruce Arians‘ defensive coordinator in Tampa Bay in 2019, and Bowles has helped turned the Buccaneers’ defensive line into one of the best in the NFL. The Bucs ranked first in rushing yards allowed in both 2019 and 2020 (they’re third in 2021), and the defense has been top-10 in points allowed since the beginning of the 2020 season. Of course, Bowles also helped guide a defense that won a Super Bowl championship last season.
Bowles was a hot name on the HC circuit last offseason, as he was connected to gigs with the Lions, Falcons, and Eagles. He ended up getting an extension from Tampa Bay last offseason, but there’s still a chance he moves on; Bowles will interview for the first vacancy that’s opened in the NFL in Jacksonville.
While Bowles has clearly rehabilitated his image following an ugly few years in the New York, it remains to be seen whether he’s actually a viable NFL head coach. Similarly, following a COVID-filled year that saw the Jets turn to a rookie QB and an ancient Joe Flacco at QB (at least Mike White was fun!), it’s difficult to make any determination on Jets head coach Robert Saleh.
Sure, it’s plenty easy to second guess the Jets for how everything unfolded. However, until Bowles emerges as a capable HC (or New York beats him to the punch by returning to the playoffs under Saleh or someone else), it’s hard to be too critical of the Jets.
Proof that no one can to anything with this mess called the New York Jets.
That sentence was a mess. The Jets have been to many conference finals in the last 20 years. There’s many many franchises that haven’t even done that, in the same time span. I liked Bowles. Like Mangini and Ryan and even Herm to go back further … I didn’t see the need to fire them. It was almost like change for the sake of change. There’s definitely something to be said for continuity. When you have a stable front office and organizational philosophy it’s easier to draft and groom to your style. In that sense, they’ve been a mess. That’s why I hope we keep Saleh around. In my opinion, if you don’t believe in a guy enough to commit to him for at least 4-5 years, then don’t hire him.
“The Jets have been to many conference finals in the last 20 years.”
They’ve been to two and lost both of them. They have one winning season in the last 11 years. They’re one of the biggest laughing stocks in the league (along with my Giants).
I agree, though. They should keep Saleh and stop making changes for the sake of it. Two top picks this upcoming year, hopefully they bolster their o-line and defense.
I’m also counting the Bill Parcels one which was like 22 years ago. 3 conference finals in 22 years is one every 7.3 or something like that. That’s better than most teams in the league. The bills haven’t sniffed one since the 90’s. The dolphins never get past the first round. The jets have been the only team in the division that ever eliminated Brady or Manning in a playoff game.
What I am SAYING is that the Jets have been terrible the last ten years or so and no coach is going to turn it around. YES, Todd Bowles is a great coach, but NO ONE can turn around the Jets that quickly, especially with all the front-office whiffs. I definitely think they should have given him a couple more years, as they should give Saleh at least 4 more, but it’s somewhat doubtful they will turn around anytime soon. They have shown some potential, sure, and they won’t be at the bottom of the league much longer, but I don’t see them rising to much more than a Raiders-type mediocrity. Unless Zach Wilson improves into pretty much a superstar, which I can’t really see happening. He hasn’t really shown that much so far.
I was mostly disputing that they’re a laughing stock franchise. No they’re not. When you avg a conference finals every 7 years for the last 22, you can do much worse. No one knows how quickly they will turn it around. But I’d like to see them stay the course and establish some continuity and stick with one organizational philosophy for 5-7 years at least. Hard to go forward when you’re always changing directions. From your replies, it doesn’t really sound like you disagree with me. The last ten years have definitely been rough. Only one winning season.
What job openings will be available in two weeks?
Current openings:
Jags
Raiders
Most likely:
Bears
Wouldn’t be surprised:
Seahawks
Broncos
Texans
Vikings
Seems like less openings than usual. Giants and panthers seem likely to keep their guys.
Jags and bears jobs should be the most enticing
You had me until you said the Jags is the most enticing. No matter what you have to work for KHAN!
Jags are enticing if you still believe in the young QB. While it hasn’t exactly been the start of his career most expected, it’s not exactly time to insult someone who still believes in him.
Dislike
The Vikings are the most enticing. With the right coach and quarterback, they could be as good as any other team. They have a whole lot of potential.
What? They have a good coach and QB. I think they need to shore up that defense. They need secondary pieces. If they had the offense they have now with the defense they had 3-5 years ago … they’d be a real contender. As it was, they were a real contender a few years ago. Jefferson and Cook were franchise altering draft picks.
Zimmer being a good coach is a wild take.
I didn’t say he’s great. But why is thinking he’s good, such a wild take? That team always competes. 69-54 doesn’t do it for you? It’s “wild” to say that’s good? 2-3 in the playoffs isn’t great, but it’s not horrible. You can’t go for that record with a bad coach and bad QB
Fingers crossed Coach Saleh can fix the jets.
Hopefully they just stay the course. Moore, Carter, Vera Tucker, Williams, Bechton have all shown promise. Wilson as of late has started to look better. Kid definitely has an arm. Let’s not keep switching coaches, and let’s keep drafting well and keep building around this young core. If Wilson starts to develop things will turn around in the next year or two.
Bowles was a good coach. With few exceptions coaches are successful in so far as they have strong quarterbacks. You don’t see many HC’s getting canned that have strong QB’s let alone great ones, unless you’re McCarthy and Rodgers want you out. Nagy isn’t terrible, he doesn’t have a QB, all these Jets coaches aren’t bad they just don’t have a QB. Sean Payton isn’t suddenly a bad coach he just doesn’t have Drew Brees anymore.
Exactly
Bowles wasn’t a good Head Coach with only 1 winning season on his resume…..he is though a good coordinator.
Some are meant to be head coaches and some are destined to be goo coordinators and Bowles is definitely the latter not the former.
Fair point, but how do we know when he had one good season of QB play? If every year he got QB play on par with that one great Fitzpatrick season everyone would think he was a great coach.
Yeah, I don’t think any Jets fans are wishing Bowles was still around. I think instead they wish the follow-up hire wasn’t Adam Gase, but what can you do?
just look forward – not backward. Happy New Year!