The Jets Won Because Of This Guy

                                               This Guy Right Here

Herman Edwards was wildly criticized for during his time as the Jets’ head coach for two reasons. One: His play calling was incredibly conservative. Two: He had an incredibly hard time managing the clock (or a game for that matter).

This is almost an oxymoron. Conservative coaches are supposed to be brilliant game managers. That of course is the reason why they are conservative coaches. They run a lot, and pass exclusively when the passing game is clicking, usually with a lot of play action.

Herm Edwards’ inability to run the clock cost the Jets a bunch of games during his tenure, but a lot of his coaching weaknesses were covered up. Edwards had Martin running the ball, and Coles and Moss catching it.

Combine this with Chad Pennington, whose sole purpose in life is to throw the play action pass, and you get an offense talented enough to play in a conservative manner, and often let Edwards get away with coaching robbery.

But on this day, the greatest weakness that Edwards brought to the table ended up costing him a game against the Jets.

This game was a lay up for Herman Edwards. Thigpen delivered what was far and away his best professional performance, and played a mistake free game (looked an awful lot like Pennington, interestingly enough).

More importantly, the Jets for the second consecutive week abandoned their successful running game for a pass heavy attack, which for the second consecutive week looked sloppier than Lindsay Lohan after midnight on a Friday.

Through 55 minutes of football, the Chiefs had the better offense and the better defense. And then with five minutes left in the 4th quarter, textbook Herman Edwards made his return.

The Jets only did one thing right on defense all game, and that was holding the Chiefs’ rushing attack in check (a much easier task when LJ is not playing). So with five minutes left, Edwards elected to run the ball, three straight times, and punt.

Perhaps my words just then didn’t do enough justice, so allow me to rephrase. Favre had just been intercepted for the third time, and it was returned for a touchdown. The Chiefs defense then stopped the Jets, again. Thigpen could do absolutely no wrong under center, and the Chiefs’ running game was dead all day. And they ran the ball, three straight times, and punted.

Edwards would pay dearly for that decision.

I criticize Brett Favre a lot. But Brett Favre has the magical ability to instantly heal your wounds after he stabs you in the jugular. And once again, he pulled it off. Touchdown Coles. Game Jets.

Edwards failed to manage the game again, and it is games like these that will surely cost him his job in KC (it has already cost him members of the locker room). But the funniest thing about all of this is that the man who nearly defeated the Chiefs on his own is only a Jet because of Edwards.

Because of Edwards' slimy New York exit, the Chiefs had to surrender a draft pick to the New York Jets. That draft pick was Jets’ captain and god of all that is special teams, Leon Washington, who at this point without argument is the most indispensable member of the Jets.

Washington chose to have the best game of his career playing against the coach who he was more or less traded for.

So the divine comedy in this story is two-fold. Edwards did not coach well as a Jet and still can’t in Kansas City. His inability to coach was his death sentence. But the executioner was the very man that had his entire career path changed because of Edwards’ selfish actions.

Poetic justice is a lovely thing.