January 12, 2169, when my great great great great great grandson David Andrew Joseph William Paul Stitzer lets the public in for the grand opening of the J E T S museum of natural history most fans will immediately flock to the January 12, 1969 hall to see for themselves that this franchise actually did win the Super Bowl. As these same fans cruise through the 2015-2058 Flag Football era exhibits (real football was installed again in 2059, history later proved that Robert Kraft III bribed the Commish to do this after he drafted defensive players in 6 consecutive drafts, still did not help, and since 2016 NE has been the worst franchise in football, just like they used to be) and the 2096-2108 London Werewolves dynasty era in which the JETS lost 26 consecutive North Atlantic Division games to the Wolves and managed to lose a whopping 22 games 6 times in that period (note: the season expanded to 24 games in 2046), they will eventually arrive at the 2009 Draft exhibit. My great great great great great granddaughter Broadwina Josephine Wilhemina Rose Barbara Ann Stitzer, using technology that we have not even dreamed of yet, will show fans a live shot from the past of her great great great great great grandfather’s reaction to his beloved JETS trading the 17th and 49th picks up to #5 to draft a QB. A stunned audience will then get to see the artifacts which remain from the famous broken remote control – a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation – which never caused fighting between the offspring as only one son decided to follow me down the green & white. The other 2 kids followed their Mom’s Chargers, and by 2078 the entire trees of those 2 families were housed in an insane asylum at the infamous Spanos building of Scripps Hospital in La Jolla.
Back to the present (unfortunately), under the pre-2011 salary cap structure was there a worse risk-reward scenario a team can enter into than drafting a QB in the top 10? Yes, you can TRADE UP TO DRAFT A QB IN THE TOP 10! Tannenbaum is unemployed because he he hit on a 16 against a picture instead of surrendering and saving half his chips – not trading up and not even drafting a QB at 17 either was the right move. Want more proof, look at the Lions who went 4-12 despite having a QB that delivered the ball to record-setting Calvin Johnson, why? Cause they have so much $ tied in up Stafford that he needs to play like Montana, Manning, or Brady at their absolute best to compensate for a roster that has lots of holes because there is not enough cap $ to fill those holes. That broken remote was completely justified, I would do it again.
One of the 4 lessons in life my Dad instilled in me was “don’t believe your own bullshit.” That lesson went out the window when it came to this team, and specifically the QB, the last 4 seasons. Sanchez sucked as a rookie after week 5. 11 games of crap, well 12 if you throw week 4 in there, but he did bounce back in week 5. After the New Orleans game in week 4 the JETS traded for Braylon Edwards “because the QB needed more weapons.” Excuse me, but if you draft a QB at #5 shouldn’t he be making people around him better? After we get through the QB, you will then get to see the 2nd reason why Tanny is unemployed – the billion traded draft picks. And when Sanchez hurt his knee and missed 1.5 games, Clemens came in to lead the team to 2 victories – so I maintain that in 2009, with that defense, and that running game, AND THE 17TH AND 49TH PICKS ON THE ROSTER (like maybe a wide receiver and an OLB that can rush the passer) Clemens could have guided this team to at least the 9 wins they got in spite of Sanchez. But then Sanchez stepped up in the playoffs. And then the kid played better in 2010, and really stepped up in the playoffs by leading a game winning drive against Indy, outplaying Brady (well really outplaying the shitball NE defense), and almost leading an improbable comeback in Pitt. Then the awful decisions to get rid of Braylon and Jericho and replace them with Plax & Mason behind an OL that included the worst right tackle in the history of the league, Wayne Hunter. It should have been very clear that the 2011 version of Sanchez, year 3 mind you, was what you have. Looking back, at least a remote control got spared when Tanny extended his contract to free up 2012 cap $ because I actually thought it was a good move. They could have been done with Sanchez, now he is a an albatro$$ for another year.
Now we get to all the draft picks Tanny traded away for players or to move up. Not all were bad trades, and some were quite good: Holmes for 5th round pick, Cromartie for a 2nd were great deals. The Kris Jenkins deal was a great trade – getting the best nose tackle in the league for 3rd and a 5th? Awful break that he was only healthy for 18 of the 48 games during his 3 years. Imagine what the Baltimore D would be like if they did not Ngata for 2+ seasons? But when you keep trading picks you lose depth. You must rely on scrap-heap undrafted free agents on special teams and sometimes in starting roles when you have the inevitable injuries. Trading up to get Revis and David Harris were good moves. Trading up to get Keller & Greene – hurts depth. Trading to get Tebow, a guy that once you had him your coaches said “he cannot throw the ball,” you did not know that by watching film?
The new GM must focus on rebuilding the OL and finding a QB – which as Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins are proving does not have to be some 1st round guy that Kiper and Mayock fawn over. The GM will also have to determine the fate of the head coach after 2013 – you know, the guy that the media wants to fire who has more playoff wins since 2009 than every coach except John Harbaugh.
I standby what I wrote two days ago and I hope the Denver defensive backs and Refs were at least smart enough to book different flights to whatever tropical destination they are headed to with their bag of loot.
SF is a 3.5 favorite Sunday. I cannot ever remember a conference championship game where the road team is giving more than a FG.
AFC game could go either way, NE blowout or Balt close win. Do not think NE wins a close game. Their recent history in street fights is not good – they are frontrunners and are capable of blowing anyone out – but they do not like to get hit in the mouth. And spare me last year’s AFC championship game. Lee Evans caught the ball and had 2 feet down – the play is over at that point. That call is in the dictionary next to the phrase “getting jobbed.”
Nice to see the NHL back. Too bad the NBA cannot go away.
Stoney’s Aztecs better stop blowing leads and letting teams back in the game. It almost bit them in the buttocks. Big one tomorrow night against UNLV at Montezuma Mesa – thoroughly looking forward to being there and losing my voice. New Mexico comes in Saturday the 26th. Imperative to hold serve at home in the nation’s 3rd best conference and the conference with the best non-conference winning %. The Mountain West has few duck walks on the road this season.
