NFL COY

Minus twenty Plus twenty, not plenty, is what I thought I had written. Hmmm.

 

The Jets were hideous last year because they had no quarterback and no running back, and therefore no offense. Herm's quitting on them was a result of that, not the cause of it. As for their talented base, they still have no running back, the QB has a throwing arm that couldn't break a pane of glass, and most football fans couldn't name three players on their defense. I would probably still vote for Payton, but Mangini is a very close second.

 

Mangini did a terrific job, but outside of the win at Foxboro, the Jets didn't have an impressive win on the schedule:

The Jets beat:

Oakland (2-14)
Detroit (3-13)
Houston (6-10)
Miami (6-10)*
Minnesota (6-10)
Buffalo (7-9)
Tennessee (8-8)
Green Bay (8-8)
New England (12-4)

So of their 10 wins, the Jets beat ONE team with a record above .500. Two wins came against the two worst teams in the league (Oak, Det), six others came against teams ALL drafting in the top 10 (6th-10th), and they sprinkled in a pair of stinkers -- losses to Jax (41-0), and a loss against 4-12 Cleveland.

The combined records of teams they beat: 64-83
The combined records of teams they lost to: 56-38

I can't think of a team that has played an easier schedule since maybe the '99 Rams or the '03 Chiefs.

 

Have you checked the Saints' schedule? They beat TWO teams with a record above .500, the 10-6 Eagles and 9-7 Cowboys, neither of which is as impressive as the Jets' win over the 12-4 Pats on the road. The combined record of the Saints' opponents was 107-117. For the Jets it was 120-121. The Jets played three games against teams with more than 10 wins (NE twice and the Colts). The Saints played one such game, against 13-3 Baltimore, and lost it. The Jets' schedule might have been soft, but if you go by the numbers, the Saints' schedule was actually easier.

 

Saints beat three playoff teams.

 

That's because the playoffs were easier to make in the NFC. Beating the 8-8 Giants doesn't mean much, playoff team or not.

 

Are you sure that's accurate? I add up the Saints and I get 224. I add up the Jets and I get 241.