I mean get fired.  I always get the two of those confused.

Boston College has told their head coach Jeff Jagodzinski that he'll be kicked to the curb if he interviews for the Jets head coaching vacancy on Monday.

Pretty harsh, no?

Jagodzinski plans to interview anyway and really why not?  Is there even a chance Jago heads back to BC after athletic director Gene DeFilippo's threat?  I say absolutely no.  Poor Jeff.  He probably won't get the job and he'll have to find another one after defying his AD. 

Meanwhile, the Jets will forge ahead with their search and are expected to interview Arizona Cardinals assistant head coach/offensive line coach Russ Grimm and former Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick. 

And if you're looking for an early front-runner, look no further than in-house candidate Brian Schottenheimer.  Seems like Mike Tannenbaum was impressed by the team's offensive coordinator during their meeting on Friday.

May God have mercy on us all.
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Also on the Network: √ Welcome To The Network [Depressed Fan] √ Does Oliver Perez Float Your Boat? [In Mo We Trust] √ A few things... [Tremendous Upside Potential] √ See You In the Swamp [Don't Boo The Birds] √ The Manny Numbers [El Lefty Malo] √ Eagles @ Vikings - Wild Card Sunday [Don't Boo The Birds] √ Stefanski Does the Legwork [Depressed Fan] √ Forever (Anthony) Young [Loge 13]

It's a new year and that means the Jets are on the hunt for a new head coach.

It will be their third in five years.

How depressing.

Anyway, it's been almost a week since the Jets were eliminated from the postseason and already two coaches have taken themselves off the team's wish list.  Bill Cowher and recently fired Mike Shanahan are no longer on the radar.  Cowher took himself out of the running on Tuesday.

"After reaching out to coach Cowher's representatives, we were informed (Tuesday night) that he's not a candidate for the position," the Jets said in a statement.

Shanahan followed suit on Friday.

Guh.

What would make two veteran head coaches pull out so quickly?

Two words: Brett Favre.

How attractive could the position be with Favre contemplating whether or not he feels like strapping on the pads for another season?  Not very.  I'm sure there were other factors involved for Cowher and Shanahan, but the idea of having No. 4 lurking in the shadows couldn't have helped.  Earlier in the week it was believed that owner Woody Johnson wanted Favre to return to the Green and White, but that talk may have been just that -- talk.  The Jets will move into their new stadium with the Giants in 2010 and it was believed that Woody wanted a marquee player to help with the higher ticket prices and PSLs.

Football is a business, after all.

But I think it's time to pull the plug on the Favre experiment.  And according to Favre's go-to guy Peter King, it looks like No. 4 will retire (for real, this time).  I pray that's true.  Favre was a disaster in the final quarter of the season and looked old and tired by the final game against the Miami Dolphins.  Thank God football isn't baseball or Favre might consider pulling a Roger Clemens and want to come back after Week 8 of the regular season.

Thomas Jones caught some heat this week with his comments about Favre.  I thought it was a tad overblown, but whenever someone has something to say about Favre, it's news.  Still, TJ's comments weren't exactly glowing.

"The other day, the three interceptions really hurt us. I mean, that's just reality.  If I were to sit here and say, 'Oh, man, it's OK,' that's not reality. ... I don't like it, I know everybody else on the team doesn't like it.

"If somebody is not playing well, they need to come out of the game.  You're jeopardizing the whole team because you're having a bad day. To me, that's not fair to everybody else. You're not the only one on the team. So when you get to the wire and somebody is just giving the game up, I mean, it's just not [fair]."

Jones tried to clear up his comments on Friday.

"I'll talk to Brett. Everything is cool with me and Brett. He's a great guy.  We have a lot of fun over there at work. I answered the question. I would expect him to answer the question the same way about me if I had two fumbles and it was a situation where I wasn't playing well and he answered the question the same way. I wouldn't look at him any different. I wouldn't be sensitive to the answer because we all know in this league you have to protect the football to win."

I guess.

Still, to blame Favre for the Jets late-season collapse is a cop out.  The whole team was responsible -- that goes for the players (all of them) and the coaching staff.

The Jets interviewed two in-house candidates for the coaching vacancy on Friday -- offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and offensive line/assistant head coach Bill Callahan.  Both are considered long shots and I would be flat-out shocked if either landed the job.

Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan are now reported to be at the top of the list for the Jets.

Stay tuned.

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I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise.

The Jets fired head coach Eric Mangini this morning.  I thought Mangini was going to be back next year, regardless of what happened Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.  I was wrong and the more I thought about it last night after the loss to the Fins, the more it didn't make sense to keep him around.  To be honest, I was thinking of burning down the whole organization after Sunday's loss.

Mangini had one year remaining on his contract and the Jets weren't going to give him an extension after a 1-4 finish.  The Jets went "all out" this year with the free agent signings and trades that included bringing in Brett Favre and to miss the playoffs after an 8-3 start is inexcusable.

And this quote from an unnamed Jets player doesn't do much to back up Mangini:

"We're out there busting our butts and (Favre) is turning the ball over.  You can't win like that.

"We never got any rhythm on offense. Instead of us pounding the ball with TJ (Thomas Jones), we're doing all of this other stuff.  It's not just me, a lot of guys weren't happy with the play-calling.  They (the coaches) were always catering to Favre instead of doing what we were built to do, which is run the ball."

I'm not a big fan of "unnamed" players (who is?), but it sure sounds like Mangini and his coaches lost the team.  It looked that way on the field, too.  That isn't to excuse the players, though.  Mangini and his guys weren't blocking or making tackles out there.

Bill Cowher is the big name floating around, but it looks like he's looking for complete control.  And that's something the Jets aren't willing to give.

And Bill Parcells may be interested in returning to the Green and White.  Seems like The Tuna has a clause in his contract that makes him a free agent if Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga sells his majority of the team.  But I don't think he wants to return to the sideline.  Then again, who knows what goes on in Duane's mind.

The season looked so promising and it ended without a playoff berth and the ax fell on the coaching staff.  I guess you never know how things will end in this crazy sport.

Never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.



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The nightmare is over.

Chad Pennington flipped two touchdown passes, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined for 107 yards rushing and Brett Favre tossed three interceptions as the Dolphins bested the Jets 24-17 in front of a despondent crowd at the Meadowlands.  Gang Green jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the second quarter thanks to a 13-yard touchdown grab by Laveranues Coles and Leon Washington's 10-yard scoring scamper gave the Jets a 17-14 advantage in the third.

But it didn't hold up.

The Dolphins scored the final 10 points of the game thanks to Anthony Fasano's 20-yard touchdown catch in the third and Dan Carpenter's 48-yard field goal in the final quarter.  Miami's win, along with the Patriots and Ravens' victories, gives the Fins the AFC East and knocks the Jets and Pats out of the playoffs.

And that's why you can't predict football.

Let's tie a bow on this turd.

REASONS TO GET UP ON MONDAY:

Laveranues Coles.  Once again I was tempted to leave this spot blank, but I'll try and stay positive (try).  Coles corralled four passes for 88 yards and a touchdown.  Not fantastic numbers, but it was reported late Sunday that No. 87 played nearly the entire season with a torn left quad muscle.  Coles finished the year with 70 receptions for 850 yards and 7 touchdowns. 

REASONS TO SLEEP IN ON MONDAY:

No. 4.  It's been frustrating to watch the team as a whole the past five weeks, but it's been downright torturous to watch Brett Favre over that same span.  His arm or shoulder (or both) is obviously hurting, but that doesn't excuse the decisions he's made over the last month or so.  The tide turned in this one with just over two minutes remaining in the first half.  Miami had just taken a 7-6 lead and the Jets started out on their own 29-yard line.  Favre faked a pass to the left and tried to complete a screen to Thomas Jones back to the right.  Not even close.  Jones was blanketed and Phillip Merling picked off the errant throw and rumbled 25 yards for a score to put the Fish up 14-6.  Backbreaking.  Then with just under five minutes remaining in the game and the Jets down 24-17 and positioned on the Miami 29-yard line, Favre tried to catch the Dolphins off guard.  The Fish were shifting defenders and Favre tried a quick snap and rifled a pass to Chansi Stuckey.  Way off the mark.  The throw fell right into the waiting arms of Andre' Goodman and that was that.  And for those people who still try to explain away Favre's decisions with "he's just trying to make something happen" -- enough.  His decisions over the final five games were the equivalent of cutting across three lanes of traffic while trying to make a left on red down a one-way street. Favre finished the afternoon 20 of 40 for 233 yards, 1 TD and 3 INT.

Run over ... again.  The secondary has been the Achilles' heel for the Jets most of the year, but the run defense really let the team down over the final handful of games.  The Green and White allowed over 100 yards rushing for the fifth straight game.  Kris Jenkins was obviously worn down, but the team's inability to spell him and come up with a big stop every now and then was shocking.  I just didn't see this coming.

"Special" teams.  The Jets have had breakdowns on both offense and defense during their five-game swoon, so I suppose it makes sense that their poor play would infect the special teams.  James Dearth's snap after Coles' touchdown grab was a little off and holder Reggie Hodges couldn't get the ball down.  Jay Feely didn't even attempt the extra point.  Hodges then had a punt attempt blocked in the fourth quarter which positioned Miami at the Jets 49-yard line.  That led to a Dolphins field goal.  When it rains it pours.

Well, that's it.  It was a promising season that came apart at the seams in the end.  And with no postseason to look forward to, the questions in Jets Land will begin.  Will Favre be back?  Do the Jets want him back?  What about the coaching staff?  No easy answers.

Here's a look at the Jets 2009 schedule:

• Miami (home and away)
• New England (home and away)
• Buffalo (home and away)

HOME:

• Cincinnati
• Tennessee
• Jacksonville
• Atlanta
• Carolina

ROAD:

• Indianapolis
• Houston
• Oakland
• New Orleans
• Tampa Bay

There's always next year, right?

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It's over.

I just don't have the energy to do my little roundup.  I'll do it tomorrow night at some point (maybe even Tuesday).  The Dolphins 24-17 victory gives the Fish the AFC East and knocked out the Jets and New England Patriots from the playoffs. 

I'll put up two videos that express my mood right now.  The first is "The End" from The Doors and the second is "I'm Broken" by Pantera.  I don't think an explanation is needed for either.




The Jets finished the season with a mark of 9-7 -- a five game improvement from their disastrous 2007 campaign -- but that means very little to me right now.

Right now, the football season is dead to me.
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It's funny how things work out sometimes, isn't it?

About a month ago, the Jets were riding a five-game winning streak that included victories over the New England Patriots and the then undefeated Tennessee Titans.  The offense was clicking, the run defense was solid and at 8-3, the postseason seemed a certainty.

Those were the days.

It all came crashing down on the final day in November when the Denver Broncos punched the Jets in the face at the Meadowlands.

They have yet to recover.

The Buffalo Bills handed the Green and White a gift a few weeks ago, but it hasn't propelled the team.  In fact, that win almost feels like a last gasp from a squad that's about to go down in flames.

There's been a lot of talk about this being the worst collapse in Jets history (if the team fails to make the playoffs, that is).  I don't know.  I haven't been watching the Jets since their inception, but I've been watching for a while.  I remember parts of the '82 and '83 seasons, but the first full year that I remember is 1984.  Gang Green raced out to a 6-2 start, but finished the season a disappointing 7-9.

Maybe I should have cut my loses then.

I'll list a few more heartbreaking seasons, in case you're not too familiar.

1993 -- The Jets are 8-5 and in line for a playoff berth, but lose their final three games to finish 8-8 and miss the postseason.  Head coach Bruce Coslet is fired shortly afterward.

1997 -- Bill Parcells is in his first season as Jets Czar and guides the Green and White to an 8-4 start after the team finished the 1996 season at 1-15.  But the Jets lose three of their final four, including losses to the 6-10 Bills and 3-13 Indianapolis Colts, to miss the playoffs.

2000 -- With Al Groh at the controls, the Jets jump out to a 6-1 record and eventually make it to 9-4.  However, the Gotham Green drop their final three games and fail to reach the playoffs.  Groh bolts for the head coaching job at Virginia a week later.

And I'm not even going to get into the 1986 season, when the Jets started 10-1, dropped their final five, backed into the playoffs, beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild card round, held a 20-10 lead against the Cleveland Browns with a little over four minutes to go in the divisional round, only to fall 23-20 in double overtime.  Or the 2004 second-round playoff debacle in Pittsburgh when Doug Brien missed two field goals in the game's final two minutes as the Steelers came back to beat the Jets 20-17 in overtime.

As you can see, there's some pretty stiff competition for greatest-collapse-ever in Jets history.

Anyway, things look bleak and the history is there, but the Jets still have a fighting chance to make things right Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.  Sure, the Fish have won four in a row, but the Chiefs gave them a run for their money last week before falling 38-31 in Kansas City.  The Jets have also beaten the Dolphins in 17 of their past 21 meetings.

I'm sure you know the scenarios for the Green Guys to make the playoffs, but I'll list them again for the record. 

WIN AND a New England Patriots loss gives the Jets AFC East
WIN AND a Baltimore Ravens loss gives the Jets a wild card spot

The Pats play at 1:00, so the Jets (and the fans) should know if they have a chance at the division by kickoff.  The Ravens and Jets will play at the same time.

The mood in Jets Land has been anything less than optimistic and the cries for Eric Mangini's head have been intensifying.  Will an inspired win against the Fins be good enough to save Mangini's job even if things don't break the Jets' way?  I don't see how one well-played victory can make up for a month of shoddy play, but I have a feeling Mangini will be back on the sidelines even if the Jets miss the playoffs.  I think defensive coordinator Bob Sutton will be out next year win or lose on Sunday and Brian Schottenheimer may also be on the hot seat.  But Mangini has one year remaining on his contract and I believe Woody Johnson will keep him around.  Mangini hasn't exactly shined during this final month and I'm sure fans won't be pleased, but that's the way I see things shaping up.

Does Mangini deserve to stay on around?  Season 1 was terrific.  Season 2 was a disaster.  And Season 3 is shaping up to be a colossal disappointment.  Still, Mangini is a young coach and growing pains are part of the job.  Sounds like an excuse and Mangini has made moves during this season that have made no sense, but sometimes a team can drop the ax prematurely.  Bill Belichick wasn't a success in his first coaching gig in Cleveland.  That might not be the best example since Belichick had more experience as a defensive coordinator, but you get the gist (I hope).  Anyway, I think Mangini stays.

And finally, Sunday will mark Chad Pennington's first visit to the Meadowlands in a uniform other than the Green and White.  Will the emotions get the better of Pennington?  He doesn't think so: 

"The emotional part, that happened in the first game. And I'm glad that it did happen in the first game. Now it's strictly business, trying to win a football game. It just so happens to be against my former team.

"Will there be some emotions? Sure. You're going back to the Meadowlands where I played eight years. But I just don't think it'll be to the magnitude that it was in the season-opener when the situation was so fresh and so new."

It will be interesting to see how the fans react to No. 10 now that he's in orange and aqua.  I think the home crowd would have cheered Pennington if the Jets were in the playoffs.  It would have been one of those hypocritical ovations that only sports fans can give.  Then again, I could see the fans cheering Pennington in a sort of sarcastic way that only Jet fans can deliver if the Dolphins (and Pennington) get off to a hot start.  In any event, if you're a Jets fan and you cheer for Pennington on Sunday, you are not a Jets fan.  I can understand your anger and frustration, but you never, ever root against your team.  Ever.

Here's a Dolpfan's quick take on things. 

Oh, and one quick note for all the doom sayers.  The Jets were in a similar position in 2002.  Gang Green needed the Pats to beat the Dolphins on the final game of the season to have a shot at the postseason.  The Fish blew a 24-13 fourth-quarter lead and eventually succumbed to the Pats 27-24 in overtime.  The Jets, fueled with unexpected and welcome news, went out and pounded the Green Bay Packers 42-17 at the Meadowlands to capture the AFC East. 

The quarterbacks that day in East Rutherford?  Chad Pennington for the Jets and Brett Favre for the Packers.

Funny, isn't it?
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I've been putting up a lot of music clips lately (hope everyone digs 'em) so I figured what's one more?  Here's King Diamond's No Presents For Christmas.  I have a hunch that's how I'll feel after Sunday's Jets-Dolphins game.


Nothing like the King to put me in the Christmas spirit.  Enjoy everybody!
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Can't we all just get along?

Shaun Ellis was slapped with a $10,000 fine for hurling a snowball (more like a snow boulder) into the Seattle crowd after the Jets lackluster 13-3 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday.  I'm sure you've seen the footage, but here it is in case you missed it.

"It was all in fun," Ellis said.

I guess.  I don't know how much fun it was walking off the field after stinkin' up the joint and taking a step closer toward missing the playoffs, but what do I know?

Still, I can't get worked up about this incident.  I just wish Ellis and the Jets showed that much fire on the field against the Seahawks.
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If you're a Jets fan and you don't feel this way, please tell me your secret.

I'm usually an upbeat sort of fella.  I try not to get too down -- even when all hope seems lost.

But I'm having a difficult time after Sunday.

Music usually cheers me up and so I decided to put up Metallica's "Broken, Beat & Scarred" from their newest album Death Magnetic.  I know Metallica is dead to a lot of people, but if you don't have their latest CD, check it out.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.


In any event, this song perfectly captures my mood right now.  In short, it's about getting beaten down, but finding the strength to rise again.   

Give it a listen.  It may help ease the pain.
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Make that 0-4 on the West Coast this year.

Maurice Morris rushed for 116 yards, Seneca Wallace passed for a productive 175 yards and a touchdown and Olindo Mare connected on two field goals as the Seahawks downed the Jets 13-3 on a snowy afternoon in Seattle.  Gang Green came out of the blocks clicking and Jay Feely put the Jets up 3-0 with a 20-yard field on the game's opening drive, but it was all downhill from there.  Penalties, turnovers and just an overall lack of efficiency doomed the Jets and sent their playoff hopes into serious jeopardy.

The Jets played like they were "Snowblind" so I'm putting up some Black Sabbath.  Just because.


This drama had a few "twists" in it, but the tone could probably best be crystallized with the Jets' first possession of the second half and the following Seattle series.

Here's what happened.

The Jets began at their own 23-yard line and Brett Favre and Thomas Jones helped push the ball down the field.  Gang Green eventually faced a 3rd-and-1 from their own 46-yard line.  The Jets raced to the line and Leon Washington ripped off a five-yard run.  First down, right?  No!  The Jets were called for an illegal formation.  The first down was wiped out, the Jets couldn't convert on the 3rd-and-6 and were forced to punt.

The Seahawks took over at their own 13-yard line and put together a 13 play, 74 yard drive that ate up 6:58 and ended in a Mare field goal to put them up 10-3.

There was still over two minutes left in the third quarter, but the game was essentially decided right there.

REASONS TO GET UP ON MONDAY:

Jay Feely.  Once again I was tempted to leave this place blank (a la the San Fransisco fiasco), but I'll give a nod to Feely since he was responsible for the Jets offense.  How pitiful.  Feely booted his field goal early in the first quarter and also nailed a 45-yard field goal with 13:22 left in the fourth.  But that three-pointer was negated by a delay of game penalty.  Feely didn't get an opportunity to try for the 50 yarder.  More about that in the "sleep in" portion.


REASONS TO SLEEP IN ON MONDAY:

Pushed around.  The weather was sloppy, but that's no excuse for the Jets suddenly struggling rush defense.  Seattle was going with a makeshift offensive line on Sunday -- not one of the them was a starter when the season began.  You would have never guessed that with the way they played.  The Jets were held sackless and gave up over 100 yards on the ground for the fourth straight week.  What's the story?

The old man.  The past four weeks have been rough for Brett Favre and if I didn't know any better I would swear that he has aged about 20 years during that time.  Favre looked sharp on the Jets first possession, but he never quite reached that level for the rest of the game.  And that's me being kind.  Favre consistently underthrew receivers all afternoon and looked hesitant in the pocket.  Father Time catches up with everyone eventually, and it looks like it's finally caught up with No. 4.  Favre finished 18 of 31 for 187 yards, 0 TD, and 2 INT.  He was also sacked four times.

Mangenius no more.  It was believed that Eric Mangini's job was on the hot seat before the season started, but that talk cooled after the Jets raced to an 8-3 record.  I think it's safe to say that those talks will be back.  Mangini has taken some heat during the Jets past four games, but he might burst into flames after Sunday's loss in Seattle.  Here's the skinny.  The Jets faced a 4th-and-1 at the Seahawks 2-yard line on their first possession of the game.  Mangini elected to kick the field goal.  I'll go on record and say that I agreed with the coach's call on this one.  It wasn't 4th and inches, it was a solid yard.  Plus, with the weather being what it was, it's always important to take the points when you can.  Good call.  But I will not (and cannot) agree with Mangini's decisions on the other two controversial plays.  Play one: Feely was not given a chance to hit a 50 yarder.  Yes, a 50-yard field goal attempt in the snow isn't a gimmie, but Feely already drilled the 45 yarder with at least five yards to spare.  Why not give him another shot?  Sometimes you have to take a gamble (especially with the playoffs on the line) and that seemed like a good time to take a chance.  The second strange decision came with 2:21 remaining in the game and Seattle up 10-3.  The Jets faced a 4th-and-2 from their own 20-yard line.  Gang Green decided to go for it.  Laveranues Coles almost came down with a spectacular grab, but the long pass fell incomplete.  Seattle took over and eventually scored the game-clinching field goal.  Two things: Why go for it from your own 20 when you have all three timeouts and the two-minute warning remaining?  Why not punt, hold the Seahawks down and then try again to score the game-tying touchdown?  Dumb.  Also, why, if your plan was to go for it on fourth down, are you also throwing on third down?  And the fourth-down play call was terrible.  Coles was also double-covered on the play.  It's very easy to second-guess, but these decisions just don't make sense to me.

This was a painful, painful game to watch and I may have broken my personal record for most expletives uttered in a three-hour period.  Santa just dropped a big, fat turd into the Jets' playoff stocking and it'll take a minor miracle for the guys in green to make it to the second season.  Gang Green will need a win against the Dolphins next week at the Meadowlands and a Patriots loss at the Buffalo Bills to make the playoffs.  Or a win and a Baltimore Ravens loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

It shouldn't have come down to this.  The Jets controlled their destiny for weeks and now they'll have to rely on others to make the post-season.  And beat a streaking Miami team.

Right now, I just don't see that happening.
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