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Mangini on the hot seat
On Monday, Eric Mangini looked up at the crowded room and, in a rare moment of openness, described himself as a "work in progress" and thanked those in attendance for bearing with him during a "bad season."
No, this wasn't a mea culpa to the team. He was addressing the media, making a self-deprecating reference to his dry news conferences.
A good coach recognizes his shortcomings. Now the Jets' coach must take the same approach to the more important aspects of his job - like figuring out ways to win football games. In the aftermath of a bitterly disappointing 4-12 season, Mangini acknowledged that he must be a better coach in 2008.
"There were a lot of close games ...that could've turned on a handful of plays, but that's my responsibility to find a way that we can turn those handful of plays into our favor," he said. "And that's what I need to do a much better job of, figuring out a way to take those five or 10 plays ...and make sure that we're coming out on top.
"You never want to be in a situation like this," Mangini continued. "The key thing is, what can you learn, what can you take away and how can you make sure it doesn't happen again? Ultimately, it's my responsibility to figure out a way to improve the team."
Mangini, hailed by some as a "Mangenius" after last season's unexpected playoff appearance, faces a critical season in 2008. With two years remaining on his original four-year contract, he can't afford another disaster. Starting Wednesday, he and GM Mike Tannenbaum will work tirelessly to fix the Jets.
Aside from resolving the major personnel issues, namely the quarterback quandary, Mangini must take a hard look at some of his coaching practices. After two seasons, some alarming trends have developed.
For the second straight year, the Jets started slowly and didn't achieve consistency until after the bye week, when the coaching staff had a chance to make adjustments. Mangini's record after the bye is 9-6 and 5-12 before it, raising questions about whether the team is properly prepared coming out of training camp.
Once again, the Jekyll-and-Hyde personality was especially noticeable on defense. Some players suggested the game plans were too conservative early in the season, that things didn't start to click until the coaches trusted them and took an aggressive mentality.
Despite a slight improvement - the Jets finished 18th in total defense, up two spots from 2006 - Mangini may opt for a fresh approach. Coordinator Bob Sutton is thought to be in trouble.
Another explanation for slow starts could be the demanding training camp. Players hinted that Mangini's camp was too taxing, that it drained the team. He didn't let up during the season, and that, too, is a philosophy that should be scrutinized.
For the second straight year, the Jets struggled to run the ball (19th) and stop the run (29th). Is it lack of talent or scheme? Defensively, Mangini seems married to the 3-4 even though he doesn't have a pure nose tackle. One of the criticisms on offense is that the coaching staff does too much, incorporating power and finesse schemes into game plans, instead of trying to master one.
Once again, the Jets struggled in the fourth quarter. They were outscored, 124-73, a big reason why they went 3-7 in games decided by seven points or less. A common denominator? Blame the offense. In six of the seven losses, the Jets topped the 20-point mark only once.
Dropped passes by Justin McCareins and Jerricho Cotchery loomed large in losses to the Ravens, Redskins, Browns and Patriots (a 10-point loss). Late interceptions by Chad Pennington were crippling in losses to the Bills, Bengals and Giants (11 points). The line struggled almost every week.
In a season of 2,027 offensive and defensive plays, the Jets were undermined by a "handful" that went the wrong way, according to Mangini. Some might call it a loser's lament; to Mangini, it's his challenge.
No, this wasn't a mea culpa to the team. He was addressing the media, making a self-deprecating reference to his dry news conferences.
A good coach recognizes his shortcomings. Now the Jets' coach must take the same approach to the more important aspects of his job - like figuring out ways to win football games. In the aftermath of a bitterly disappointing 4-12 season, Mangini acknowledged that he must be a better coach in 2008.
"There were a lot of close games ...that could've turned on a handful of plays, but that's my responsibility to find a way that we can turn those handful of plays into our favor," he said. "And that's what I need to do a much better job of, figuring out a way to take those five or 10 plays ...and make sure that we're coming out on top.
"You never want to be in a situation like this," Mangini continued. "The key thing is, what can you learn, what can you take away and how can you make sure it doesn't happen again? Ultimately, it's my responsibility to figure out a way to improve the team."
Mangini, hailed by some as a "Mangenius" after last season's unexpected playoff appearance, faces a critical season in 2008. With two years remaining on his original four-year contract, he can't afford another disaster. Starting Wednesday, he and GM Mike Tannenbaum will work tirelessly to fix the Jets.
Aside from resolving the major personnel issues, namely the quarterback quandary, Mangini must take a hard look at some of his coaching practices. After two seasons, some alarming trends have developed.
For the second straight year, the Jets started slowly and didn't achieve consistency until after the bye week, when the coaching staff had a chance to make adjustments. Mangini's record after the bye is 9-6 and 5-12 before it, raising questions about whether the team is properly prepared coming out of training camp.
Once again, the Jekyll-and-Hyde personality was especially noticeable on defense. Some players suggested the game plans were too conservative early in the season, that things didn't start to click until the coaches trusted them and took an aggressive mentality.
Despite a slight improvement - the Jets finished 18th in total defense, up two spots from 2006 - Mangini may opt for a fresh approach. Coordinator Bob Sutton is thought to be in trouble.
Another explanation for slow starts could be the demanding training camp. Players hinted that Mangini's camp was too taxing, that it drained the team. He didn't let up during the season, and that, too, is a philosophy that should be scrutinized.
For the second straight year, the Jets struggled to run the ball (19th) and stop the run (29th). Is it lack of talent or scheme? Defensively, Mangini seems married to the 3-4 even though he doesn't have a pure nose tackle. One of the criticisms on offense is that the coaching staff does too much, incorporating power and finesse schemes into game plans, instead of trying to master one.
Once again, the Jets struggled in the fourth quarter. They were outscored, 124-73, a big reason why they went 3-7 in games decided by seven points or less. A common denominator? Blame the offense. In six of the seven losses, the Jets topped the 20-point mark only once.
Dropped passes by Justin McCareins and Jerricho Cotchery loomed large in losses to the Ravens, Redskins, Browns and Patriots (a 10-point loss). Late interceptions by Chad Pennington were crippling in losses to the Bills, Bengals and Giants (11 points). The line struggled almost every week.
In a season of 2,027 offensive and defensive plays, the Jets were undermined by a "handful" that went the wrong way, according to Mangini. Some might call it a loser's lament; to Mangini, it's his challenge.
This is retarded! 1 bad year and he's on the hotseat!
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