Column: J-E-T-S, Joke, Joke, Joke -- for now

Before we get into the meat of this column, I think most of us can unanimously agree on two things:

1. HBO’s “Hard Knocks” with the New York Jets was a great — and at times hilarious — documentary of NFL training camps and front-office situations around the league.

2. Jets coach Rex Ryan and his staff can relate with many of the players on the Jets’ 53-man roster in ways many coaches can’t.

That said, there comes a time when the talk, the devouring of McDonald’s during practice and the verbal aspirations of a birth in Super Bowl XLV become excessive. That is, if there’s no backup.

New York’s 10-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the 2010 debut of Monday Night Football was enough to make any football fan or junkie question exactly how relevant the Jets will be this year.

There’s the so-called “sophomore slump,” implying the often sagging statistical seasons of quarterbacks coming off successful first-year campaigns. Scoring nine points at home on the biggest regular-season stage is laughable (by the way, wasn’t Ryan supposed to know this defense after all the years he spent as Brian Billick’s defensive coordinator?).

Instead of the Jets’ coaching staff and players trying to show off for Spanish sports reporters during a game-week practice and earning themselves a possible lawsuit, wouldn’t it be wise to focus on the Ravens, a viable Super Bowl contender?

How about the Jets’ offensive clock management in the waning seconds of Monday night’s game? Why exactly was quarterback Mark Sanchez taking his dear old time to get his third-down play off, even after there was apparent miscommunication between him and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer?

If that weren’t enough, the lack of awareness on the part of tight end Dustin Keller to not get to the first down marker in an open field speaks for itself.

But as former Jets coach Herm Edwards rhetorically questioned in his infamous post-game news conference, why do you play the game?

When—or if— the Jets can get their heads screwed on straight and out of the cheeseburger bags, they will contend.

When exactly that will be is a crapshoot. Last December, it took a win-by-default in Indianapolis for New York to light a fire under its seven-win belly and eventually advance to the AFC Championship.

And just how big of a distraction could this potential lawsuit become? It won’t be an advantage, that’s for sure.  

If I’m Ryan, there’s no more fooling around. It’s all about business for the next 16 weeks, because it has to be.

If New York decides to keep the funny business going and delay football until 2011, or
2012 depending on the threatening collective bargaining situation, the nuisance General Manager Mike Tannenbaum and owner Woody Johnson took care of in finally signing cornerback Darrelle Revis will be a wasted effort.

While I’m questioning the Jets and where exactly they will end up come January, I’m staying true to one thing: I’ll be first in line to vouch for a 2011 season of “Hard Knocks” with Rex & Co.


Email: ftherber@indiana.edu