New York Jets: Psychology of the Team under Todd Bowles

By Kyalo Mulumba | Jul 22, 2015

We all understand that playing winning football is about blocking, tackling, and making plays in crucial situations. Consistency, in these areas, is more relevant to success in the NFL than passing a Psych 101 exam your freshman year in college. That being said, the psychology of a football team goes a long way in helping a team navigate the process of forming their identity.

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The 1993 Dallas Cowboys did not need to worry about the psychology of their team. Jimmy Johnson and the Triplets had that covered.

But when talking about the 2015 New York Jets…this is a team that will really benefit, psychologically, from the insertion of Todd Bowles as head coach.

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Prior to the 2010 season on HBO’s Hard Knocks, Rex Ryan famously bragged that “his team at their best will beat any team in the NFL at their best”. That worked for that team. The team lost in the AFC Championship that season. That was nice, but the Jets have not made the playoffs since.

Clearly, they are a team in need of an attitude adjustment.

Enter Todd Bowles. Todd Bowles is the Teddy Roosevelt of the NFL coaching fraternity. He truly believes in the phrase “talk softly…but carry a big stick.” Just substitute “stick” with “stout blitzing, attacking defense.”

New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Rex Ryan really connected well with Jets fans when he blatantly talked about beating the Patriots. The “I didn’t come here to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings” quote is still fresh in the minds of Jets Nation. However, Bowles understands that there are bigger fish to fry for this Jets team.

In an article by Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today, Bowles clearly states a new mindset that his team will have regarding their rivals from Baah-ston…who also happen to be the defending Super Bowl Champions,

“I don’t think it means anything to us right now,” Bowles said. “Just beating the Patriots is not going to cut it if you lose to everybody else. We’ve got to have a growth process of how to win while we’re winning and trying to win, and beat more than just the Patriots.”

This shift in approach will pay more dividends for the Jets this year, than any blustery remark that will only increase the pressure to perform while raising expectations.

In past years under the Ryan regime, the Jets would go into a season trying to live up to the self-induced hype and bring a Super Bowl trophy back to New York. This year, they will be looking to get better on a daily basis and job number 1 is simple.

On September 13, 2015, take the football field be ready to play and beat Cleveland at home.

For this Jets team, Todd Bowles is…literally…just what the doctor ordered.

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