Head Coach Help Wanted: Who Out There Is Right For The Jets?

Oscar Santana — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 08:34:06 -0500

The Jets have fired Eric Mangini, Favre is considering retirement, and some of his teammates are letting him know how they really felt about him after the team let the division slip away from their grasps.

So what can be done?

The Jets off season will be extremely dependant on what Favre does next and the person that is hired to coach the team.

The Situation

Woody Johnson decided to axe Mangini only a few hours after an underwhelming performance against the Miami Dolphins.

Was it the right decision? Yes.

It became quite evident that Mangini didn’t really know how to handle Favre. That wasn’t the only problem Mangini had.

Down the stretch he inexplicably turned away from a rushing attack that was ninth in yardage in the NFL and totaled 19 touchdowns. The fact that Coles seemed to lose a step this season, Cotchery not being fast enough to get separation, and inexperience at the third widereciver spot didn’t help either.

Mangini, a former defensive coordinator, was also extremely conservative when it came to using the pass rush. Early in the season the Jets were getting to opposing QBs quite often, but towards the end of the season only three or four players would rush the QB.

Its possible that this was because Mangini wanted to make up for a sub par defensive backfield, but one of the best ways to stop the air attack is to pressure the QB.

There will be plenty to think about in the coming off season.

The Solution

The coaching vacancy is the first thing that must be addressed obviously.

Cowher would have been a near perfect for this team. Historically a run heavy play caller and a defensive master, the Jets would have addressed they’re needs for coach. So who else is there?

Mike Shanahan was another good choice, but according to the New York Daily News, he too is not interested in the coaching gig. He’s always been able to build a good rushing attack.

Then there are defensive coordinators Steve Spagnuolo and Rex Ryan. While both are part of great defenses that also have pretty good offenses, neither have head coaching experience (much like Mangini).

The Jets don’t have too many viable choices and they’ll probably end up going with Spagnuolo or Ryan. Maybe not the greatest of prospects.

Omar Minaya Got His Man for the Ninth

Oscar Santana — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:27:11 -0500

New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya got the winter meetings off to a fast start by nabbing closer Francisco Rodriguez off the market. It is a sign of how desperately the Mets need to shore up a bullpen which has struggled to keep lead in the past two years.

It is the first step towards recovering from two straight seasons with mid-September collapses.

Rodriguez signed for three years, $37 million. That is much less than the five-year, $75 million deal he was looking for when he decided to test the free-agent market.

The deal could reach a maximum value of $51 million if the option for a fourth year is picked up. Getting Rodriguez for less than what was expected should help the Mets shore up the 'pen (they’ve already taken a step towards doing that by trading for J.J. Putz) and the starting rotation.

So what should be expected of Rodriguez, coming off a season in which he broke Bobby Thigpen’s single-season save record? Well, if the team does its job they might not need him to get so many saves, but they should expect to have a stable presence in the ninth inning.

He’s had great numbers against N.L. clubs (in 50.1 innings he’s posted a 1.07 ERA, 67 strikeouts, and a .137 BAA). Those numbers would probably increase, but not by a lot. He is a quality closer, who has shown he can perform on the big stage of the World Series.

So the Mets have their man, but they know one man will not help them go all the way and conquer their September woes. They still need reliable relievers to get the ball to Rodriguez, and Putz can be one of those guys.

But what about the sixth and seventh innings? Well, that question still needs to be answered, but for now, Met fans can rest assured that they now have one of the top closers at the end of the game.

Bleacher Report - Articles by Oscar Santana

Head Coach Help Wanted: Who Out There Is Right For The Jets?

Omar Minaya Got His Man for the Ninth