Todd Bowles: the next great head coach?

[mwald]

In the last twenty years or so the New York Jets have managed to string together 10 or 12 wins about every four or five years. In that regard, this year’s ten or (possibly) eleven wins isn’t that unusual, even for an organization as dysfunctional as the Jets.

But rookie head coach Todd Bowles strikes me as a cut above their recent head coaching cloth. There’s a Buddha-esque serenity and strength about this guy that makes me think he won’t fall back to earth like so many of the others that have been chewed up and spit out by that team and that market.

After a 4-1 start the Jets lost four of their next five. A lot of rookie coaches would be in serious trouble at that point, buckling under the media pressure, at a loss to pull their team out of the tailspin. Bowles’ Jets rebounded to win five games in a row, two in overtime.

One thing that stood out to me was Bowles’ comments to the media after the Jets 19-16 win against cellar dwellers the Dallas Cowboys. Asked about some of the Jets’ tight wins Bowles said, “It’s mental toughness. You don’t nearly blow games when you win them. You blow them when you lose them. You win is how you win.”

Sounds a lot like Bill Parcells—a guy so confident in his approach that his answers to questions aren’t really answers, they're teaching sessions.

The work he’s done with journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick alone might warrant an award. Fitzpatrick is smart, but he’s always started hot and faded late. Untimely interceptions have been his calling card.

But watch this game winning drive vs. New England from last weekend. We’ve all seen it, but it wasn’t until I watched this again, by itself, that I realized how impressive it was. Teams—and journeymen quarterbacks—just don’t do this to Bill Belichick. Not often, anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EHM9agzdV8

The aggressive play calling by Chan Gailey. The flat out execution by the Bearded One against the toughest closing team in the NFL. Goosebumps!

Bowles is doing good work in New York.

[7DnBrnc53]

In the last twenty years or so the New York Jets have managed to string together 10 or 12 wins about every four or five years. In that regard, this year’s ten or (possibly) eleven wins isn’t that unusual, even for an organization as dysfunctional as the Jets.

But rookie head coach Todd Bowles strikes me as a cut above their recent head coaching cloth. There’s a Buddha-esque serenity and strength about this guy that makes me think he won’t fall back to earth like so many of the others that have been chewed up and spit out by that team and that market.

After a 4-1 start the Jets lost four of their next five. A lot of rookie coaches would be in serious trouble at that point, buckling under the media pressure, at a loss to pull their team out of the tailspin. Bowles’ Jets rebounded to win five games in a row, two in overtime.

One thing that stood out to me was Bowles’ comments to the media after the Jets 19-16 win against cellar dwellers the Dallas Cowboys. Asked about some of the Jets’ tight wins Bowles said, “It’s mental toughness. You don’t nearly blow games when you win them. You blow them when you lose them. You win is how you win.”

Sounds a lot like Bill Parcells—a guy so confident in his approach that his answers to questions aren’t really answers, they're teaching sessions.

The work he’s done with journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick alone might warrant an award. Fitzpatrick is smart, but he’s always started hot and faded late. Untimely interceptions have been his calling card.

But watch this game winning drive vs. New England from last weekend. We’ve all seen it, but it wasn’t until I watched this again, by itself, that I realized how impressive it was. Teams—and journeymen quarterbacks—just don’t do this to Bill Belichick. Not often, anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EHM9agzdV8

The aggressive play calling by Chan Gailey. The flat out execution by the Bearded One against the toughest closing team in the NFL. Goosebumps!

Bowles is doing good work in New York.

And to think, the Dolphins had this guy four years ago (on an interim basis). They also had QB Matt Moore with a good stat line (60% completion, almost 2,500 yards in 12 starts, 16 TD passes, 9 INT's). They should have just stuck with both. Philbin and Tannehill turned out to be a downgrade.

[JWL]

In the last twenty years or so the New York Jets have managed to string together 10 or 12 wins about every four or five years. In that regard, this year’s ten or (possibly) eleven wins isn’t that unusual, even for an organization as dysfunctional as the Jets.

But rookie head coach Todd Bowles strikes me as a cut above their recent head coaching cloth. There’s a Buddha-esque serenity and strength about this guy that makes me think he won’t fall back to earth like so many of the others that have been chewed up and spit out by that team and that market.

After a 4-1 start the Jets lost four of their next five. A lot of rookie coaches would be in serious trouble at that point, buckling under the media pressure, at a loss to pull their team out of the tailspin. Bowles’ Jets rebounded to win five games in a row, two in overtime.

One thing that stood out to me was Bowles’ comments to the media after the Jets 19-16 win against cellar dwellers the Dallas Cowboys. Asked about some of the Jets’ tight wins Bowles said, “It’s mental toughness. You don’t nearly blow games when you win them. You blow them when you lose them. You win is how you win.”

Sounds a lot like Bill Parcells—a guy so confident in his approach that his answers to questions aren’t really answers, they're teaching sessions.

The work he’s done with journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick alone might warrant an award. Fitzpatrick is smart, but he’s always started hot and faded late. Untimely interceptions have been his calling card.

But watch this game winning drive vs. New England from last weekend. We’ve all seen it, but it wasn’t until I watched this again, by itself, that I realized how impressive it was. Teams—and journeymen quarterbacks—just don’t do this to Bill Belichick. Not often, anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EHM9agzdV8

The aggressive play calling by Chan Gailey. The flat out execution by the Bearded One against the toughest closing team in the NFL. Goosebumps!

Bowles is doing good work in New York.

And to think, the Dolphins had this guy four years ago (on an interim basis). They also had QB Matt Moore with a good stat line (60% completion, almost 2,500 yards in 12 starts, 16 TD passes, 9 INT's). They should have just stuck with both. Philbin and Tannehill turned out to be a downgrade.

Yes, Bowles was the head coach vs the Jets in the infamous season finale of 2011. That was the game when Santonio Holmes took himself out of the game to mope. Rex Ryan was clueless as to what happened. This was noted in an anti-Rex Ryan rant I had made at the old forum.

Bowles was coached by Joe Gibbs and coached under Bill Parcells. This certainly has helped him.

I have been thrilled only three times when the Jets hired a head coach. The first time was Bill Belichick. I can remember where I was when that was announced (parking lot at Seton Hall University). Then a short while later, Bill Parcells was named the head coach. Then early this year Bowles was named the head coach.

I was disappointed when Pete Carroll and Rex Ryan were named Jets head coach. As for the others since the Joe Walton era (including Rich Kotite)? I was simply hopeful.

Anyway, Bowles' demeanor seems great to me. He doesn't get too up or too down- at least publically. We know the Cardinals defensive players loved him.

[7DnBrnc53]

I have been thrilled only three times when the Jets hired a head coach. The first time was Bill Belichick. I can remember where I was when that was announced (parking lot at Seton Hall University). Then a short while later, Bill Parcells was named the head coach. Then early this year Bowles was named the head coach.

I was disappointed when Pete Carroll and Rex Ryan were named Jets head coach. As for the others since the Joe Walton era (including Rich Kotite)? I was simply hopeful.

Actually, after Belichick resigned in 2000, Al Groh was named the HC. Was there another time when Bill accepted the job, only to lose it?

Also, I think that Carroll should have been given one more year. Allegedly, after the 94 season, he told Boomer Esiason that he was going to make changes, and that he was going to love them. Then, the Leon Hess Full Retard plan commenced, and Carroll was bounced in favor of Kotite. One of the dumbest moves in franchise history, if not the dumbest.

[JWL]

I have been thrilled only three times when the Jets hired a head coach. The first time was Bill Belichick. I can remember where I was when that was announced (parking lot at Seton Hall University). Then a short while later, Bill Parcells was named the head coach. Then early this year Bowles was named the head coach.

I was disappointed when Pete Carroll and Rex Ryan were named Jets head coach. As for the others since the Joe Walton era (including Rich Kotite)? I was simply hopeful.

Actually, after Belichick resigned in 2000, Al Groh was named the HC. Was there another time when Bill accepted the job, only to lose it?

Also, I think that Carroll should have been given one more year. Allegedly, after the 94 season, he told Boomer Esiason that he was going to make changes, and that he was going to love them. Then, the Leon Hess Full Retard plan commenced, and Carroll was bounced in favor of Kotite. One of the dumbest moves in franchise history, if not the dumbest.

Initially, Belichick was hired as the Jets head coach and Parcells was set to be a consultant or something for a year. Then the league stepped in and compensation was given to the Patriots so Parcells could be the head coach. The Belichick hiring I referenced above was his initial hiring by the Jets.

[7DnBrnc53]

Initially, Belichick was hired as the Jets head coach and Parcells was set to be a consultant or something for a year. Then the league stepped in and compensation was given to the Patriots so Parcells could be the head coach. The Belichick hiring I referenced above was his initial hiring by the Jets.

I didn't know that. I did hear that Kraft wanted Belichick to replace Parcells, but they went with Carroll instead for some reason.

[JWL]

Initially, Belichick was hired as the Jets head coach and Parcells was set to be a consultant or something for a year. Then the league stepped in and compensation was given to the Patriots so Parcells could be the head coach. The Belichick hiring I referenced above was his initial hiring by the Jets.

I didn't know that. I did hear that Kraft wanted Belichick to replace Parcells, but they went with Carroll instead for some reason.

Well, technically, Belichick was never hired as the Jets head coach in 1997. He was going to be the head coach if they could not get Parcells to be the head coach. It was something weird and potentially innovative to have Belichick to be the head coach for one year. This was the Jets, though, and so it seemed possible.

The way I remember it was that the Jets signed Belichick with the idea he would be the head coach if they couldn't get Parcells to be the head coach. It was a day or several days later when Parcells was named the head coach.

Jets Have a Wild Card: Belichick

By GERALD ESKENAZI

Published: February 3, 1997

Although they still plan to offer a package to the New England Patriots that would bring them Bill Parcells, the Jets have come up with a Plan B -- as in Bill Belichick. According to people with both teams, the Jets will offer their head coaching job to Belichick, Parcells's defensive coordinator and the former head coach of the Cleveland Browns, if they are unable to make a deal with the Patriots' owner, Robert K. Kraft.

Belichick will meet with the Jets today at their training complex in Hempstead, L.I., presumably to interview for the job of defensive coordinator under Parcells. But because Kraft has demanded the Jets' first-round draft choice -- which is the No. 1 pick in the draft -- in exchange for freeing Parcells, the Jets are looking for a fallback position if the deal falls through.

In this scenario, the Jets would hire Belichick as their head coach for one season, while Parcells finished the remaining year on his contract with Kraft.

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/03/sport ... chick.html

[JWL]

Also, I think that Carroll should have been given one more year. Allegedly, after the 94 season, he told Boomer Esiason that he was going to make changes, and that he was going to love them. Then, the Leon Hess Full Retard plan commenced, and Carroll was bounced in favor of Kotite. One of the dumbest moves in franchise history, if not the dumbest.

I did not think Carroll should have got the job in 1994. He was as responsible as Bruce Coslet was for all those leads squandered in 1993. I also didn't care for his lack of professionalism in the game at Miami late in the 1992 season. He make a choke sign after the Dolphins missed a kick. The Dolphins won some moments later.

I wanted the whole coaching staff cleaned out after the 1993 season.

[74_75_78_79_]

SBXXII, on the Elway-to-Nattiel bomb that put Denver up over Wash 7-0 on their first offensive play from scrimmage, Bowles at S got a bit of the blame (or at least from announcer Dan Dierdorf) for not assisting Wilburn who steered Natt into the middle, presumably expecting Todd (on the island) to help. On Denver's next possession, it was Natt putting a good enough block on Bowles enabling that gadget Sewell-to-Elway pass play to go as long as it did deep in Wash territory. Denver would go up 10-0 but, of course, Bowles and team would certainly have last laugh by halftime.

And 28 years later, he clearly IS looking to be something special. Winning close games seems to be a Parcells trademark he's already emulating. As a Steeler fan, I truly worry about this game at Buffalo. I just don't see Todd losing it. The whole Rex firing up his troops, at home for pride, against his old team just isn't enough encouragement. Especially considering that a suddenly much-improved Fitz will be playing against his old team as well - and for a playoff berth. Does Fitz's drastic improvement under Bowles remind you of Testeverde's improved play (best years as a pro) under Tuna or doesn't it? Below is a recent article giving an example of the fine HC Bowles is becoming.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/12/todd-bo ... ing-gamble

Back to his playing days, talk about "bad timing" (as was the subject of a recent thread here on this site), it's a shame Todd missed out on another Ring being that he went to SF in '91 only to go right back to DC in '92.

[BD Sullivan]

SBXII, on the Elway-to-Nattiel bomb that put Denver up over Wash 7-0 on their first offensive play from scrimmage

You missed an X, although Denver did play in XII as well--against Dallas.