Say Good Bye To Season, J-E-T-S

You can say alot about last night's loss on the road in the playoffs to the team with the NFL's best record but in the end, you had to admire them for their courage, their stamina and for their unwillingness to quit when everyone would have expected them to finally roll over and give up the season for dead.

To be fair, when they'd fallen into a 10-0 hole before the first quarter had even ended, no matter how much Herm has talked about the never-say-die attitude of the team, the Jets looked scared and on the ropes. You could almost see the carnage coming.

A little later, when they took over for a series inside their own 20 and everyone in the stadium just knew that another three and out series would see the Steelers land the haymaker we all knew was coming, the Jets suddenly sprung to life, started completing a few upfield passes, mixed up a few runs and by the end of the drive, although finished point-less due to the first of three misses for kicker Doug Brien, the Steelers and the rest of us at least knew the game was going to be rockin.

Yes, the offense sucked. At times it was difficult to discern which of the two starting QBs was the rookie. But the Jets fought back again and again, pulled surprise after surprise, like punt returns and interception returns for touchdowns and still, despite all that and five quarters of gut-wrenching football, the Jets, you could say, blew another one.

The Jets became the the third team in NFL history to play back-to-back overtime playoffs games. Not surprisingly, the other two, like the Jets, lost their second.

The loss was underscored by a mere 3 offensive points, 3 missed field goals and a conservative play-calling style almost anytime something daring was called for. Most aggregious of course, was the three straight chances that weren't taken following Big Ben's final interception, with time running out, the Jets had a modicum of momentum but didn't attempt to do anything with it, leaving it up to the dodgy foot of Doug Brien. It was almost as if Marty Schottenheimer was their offensive coordinator.

The defence's play was both epic and heroic whilst the offence seemed, as they have most season, to be trying harder not to lose than to win. So, in order, here are the targets for your dartboard of the long offseason to blame for the 20-17 overtime loss:

1. Offensive coordinator Paul Hackett - It is very trendy these days to call for Hackett's Head and he probably won't last through the second half of next week. The number one complaint all season has been the conservative play-calling and that play-calling causing the type of dismal offensive production that ruins seasons. Fortunately for the Jets, the defence has often prevailed, sparing us all the misery of a forgettable season. The new offensive coordinator, whomever he is, will have to come up with a few better ideas than an outdated version of the West Coast offence and may also have to oversee a larger role-share between the NFL's leading rusher, Curtis Martin, and his rapidly improving understudy, Lamont Jordan.

2. Chad Pennington - We've always liked this kid ever since he did a bang up job of saving the season when Vinny T finally injured his way out of the starting lineup. He was embraced as the "new" Joe Montana, hero of the West Coast Offensive and a pinpoint passer with great decision making skills. These days, his dodgy passing has been the rule for the season, including yesterday's dismal performance. There are two ready-made excuses for Chad: an injured wing, which no one seems to know the extent of and the more likely excuse that he has been physically and psychologically hampered by an offensive coordinator who bases his play calling on fear and precision. Under a different coordinator, Chad might prosper. He might prove the doubters wrong about his arm. But whatever the reason, the time for excuses has passed. It's been several years since that early promise and if next season, with a fresh start and a new offensive coordinator don't see a vast improvement in Chad, the Jets should be looking elsewhere for their leadership on the offence.

3. Doug Brien - You can say all you want about hard luck. You can say all you want about icy winds at Heinz Field and about giving the guy a break since it was his field goal last week that helped get the Jets to this game to begin with. But let's be honest, if your kicker, for whatever reason, botches three of four attempts in a playoff game, do you really think you're going to make it to the next round? Not unless you've got a Colts-like offence. Doug Brien is a flawed kicker and not a goat but his performance should merit some hefty competition for the job in training camp.

As for the victors, you could make a very strong argument that the Steelers proved little in their victory this week other than the ability to outlast and out-luck a team that had already exhausted it's fate the quarter before.

Bill Cowher was spot on to point out that they will need to play alot better next week, that they will have to improve on this performance and improve fast.

There is no excuse, when you have a great offensive line and two very punishing backs to run behind that line, to let a rookie quarterback pass you into an early elimination.

More poignantly, it shouldn't be forgotten that the Cowher's history of doom as a number one seed hasn't been evaded by yesterday's victory nor have his demons been slain. That cannot happen until the Steelers get to the Super Bowl and win it. If they even remotely resemble the team the Jets faced yesterday you can forget about it. Neither the Pats nor the Colts have the type of wuthering offence the curiously inactive Jets offence displayed and neither will allow Pittsburgh to escape despite making so many mistakes.

*****

Vick-Tory, Yadayada

Lastly is the issue of the dismantling of the Rams by the Falcons that lasted well neigh upon dawn here in England, a regretable way to spend the usual napping hours, especially when my prediction of a Rams' upset was torpedoed so efficiently.

It took less than three quarters for it to sink in fully that the Rams not only had no tricks up their sleeves, but the Falcons were delivering a very strong message about rushing yards, defence and special teams. Fortunately for the rest of the NFL, they won't be playing another game in the Redneck Dome again.

Regardless, the Falcons improved on their 31-17, 242 rushing yards performance against the Rams in Week Two.

They won by a 47-17 margin and managed to rush for 327 yards this time around.

Still, Michael Vick, as far as I'm concerned, is that team. If it weren't for the constant threat of him breaking one for a touchdown, defences could relax a little more and concentrate on playing football instead of feeling like they were bumpers in a giant-sized human pinball machine.

A one dimensional player like Vick, no matter how "exciting" his runs are, are simply bad for football.

I know there will be others who howl against this sentiment, who thrill for the chance to watch a great athlete in full flight. But football isn't a one man sport nor is it a track meet for freak shows. Until Michael Vick demonstrates an ability to pass with precision or do something else other than leave defenders gasping and grasping after him, I cannot help but root against the Falcons and hope that a more traditional football team which relies upon 11 men on one side of the ball rather than 1 one to succeed, will always beat them.