THIS is written somewhat reluc tantly, because Eric Mangini is a good man, and a good enough coach to take the Jets to the playoffs as a rookie when Chad Pennington was Comeback Player of the Year.
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But he’s not good enough to prevent a Mets-like collapse that goes right in there with some of the darkest endings in Jets history; not good enough to prevent Pennington and the Dolphins from clinching the division and dancing on the Jets’ grave with a 24-17 victory yesterday.
Can-gini.
Out with the old, and in with the new, and Happy 1969 to you.
Sing “Auld Lang Syne” to the lame-duck coach, and sing it to the Hall of Fame quarterback, too.
Bye Bye Brett.
“I wish I could have held up my end of the bargain,” Favre said.
Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher would represent the kind of upgrade over Mangini that we thought Favre was over Pennington back in August.
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Owner Woody Johnson will have his new stadium for the 2010 season and if he needed Favre to see those PSLs last summer, he needs Cowher to sell them now, given the anger and depression gripping Jets Nation today.
Johnson said he would make a decision sometime this week.
Referring to his fans, already deflated from victories by the Patriots and Ravens yesterday, the owner said: “They deserved more.”
Mangini, asked if he expects to be back, said: “I do.”
If Johnson is looking for more bang for his $140 million offseason bucks, Cowher is the one and only place to start.
If Cowher is adamant about not coaching in 2009 (Show him the money, Woody), then a champion assistant coach like Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo needs to be interviewed, and a franchise quarterback needs to be drafted. It worked just fine for the Falcons and Ravens.
The Didn’t Win Now team needs a Win Now coach like Cowher. Or, if you prefer, a Chin Now coach.
For all his recent failings, Mangini, who is 23-25 overall and 0-1 in the postseason with the Jets and, according to one report is 50-50 to be fired, would be in the playoffs if Favre (two touchdowns, nine interceptions over the last five games; three yesterday; 22 for the season) had been anything more than a shell of his former self after an 8-3 start.
Maybe today’s MRI will reveal something very wrong with Favre’s shoulder.
“Well, it hurts in the back; it hurts down the bicep; and occasionally in my neck,” Favre said. “Other than that it’s fine.”
Guess what: That’s what happens to 39-year-old quarterbacks. Even Favre. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with his fastball yesterday, just his accuracy. “I hope it was not a factor in some of the throws this year,” Favre said.
It was the right decision, making the bold move for Favre and gambling that he was forever young. “I felt like I was wanted again,” Favre said.
Alas, it was the right move at the wrong time, a time when Father Time showed up at the worst possible moment to intercept Favre and turned him into just another Joe who wasn’t Namath.
He was off-Broadway Brett. Great guy, great teammate, great leader.
But no longer a great quarterback.
“I’m glad I made the decision to come here and play,” Favre said. “I knew the odds were against us, I knew the expectations were high; but I consider that a huge challenge.”
He couldn’t meet it.
Favre said his family hadn’t indicated anything to him other than beating the Dolphins. “I not only let this team down, I let them down,” Favre said. “I don’t know which one’s harder to face.”
Mangini doesn’t get to escape The Blame Game because he couldn’t motivate his team down the stretch; because the play-calling and deployment of personnel were erratic at best; because he coached scared in situations that called for nerve; because his defense couldn’t mount a pass rush or defend the pass and needs a more daring, inspiring coordinator.
But when December came, Bill Belichick and Tony Sparano had the two best quarterbacks in the division.
“I’m sure everyone’s gonna say: ‘He’s old and washed-up and gray’ and all that stuff, and maybe they’re right,” Favre said. “That’s one of the things I guess I will assess: Am I old and washed-up? Maybe so. If that’s the case, then it’s time for me to do something else.”
Thanks 4 the memories.