For the New York Jets, they finally figured out that continuity is the key to organizational success.
The New York Jets extended the contract of head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan on Friday. This is another sign of progress for the Jets organization. They’re proving they’re out to win and do it the right way.
The word continuity is thrown around a lot in NFL circles. The Jets finally get to use it in the context of their organization. Many in the NFL community are saying this is the right move, including two prominent members of the NFL media:
Former NFL player and NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks tweeted this:
The way Todd Bowles handled this situation is the perfect blueprint for how other coaches should deal with a bad hand from the dealer. Instead of crying about the lack of personnel during the rebuilding phase, TB coached his tail off & won games despite the odds. That's coaching https://t.co/NTFfuzFJ0l
— Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) December 29, 2017
Former NFL front office member and player, and ESPN’s Louis Riddick had this to say:
So much love and respect for Todd Bowles. Deserving of his extension and now needs to complete the job. #Jets
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) December 29, 2017
Frankly, this was the only move to make. Bowles and Maccagnan were handed a sinking ship. They were put in a terrible situation in the beginning with a win-now mentality from ownership, and they really only got to establish their own identity for the team this year, three years into the job. The Jets recent coaching history is filled with win-now situations where the coaches succeed early and fizzled out, but the one time the Jets allowed a coach and general manage to establish his own identity for the franchise, they won the Super Bowl.
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I will grant you this, Weeb Ewbank was the head coach and general manager. That said, the Jets started off with three consecutive 5-8-1 seasons under Ewbank, and in year four they were 6-6-2. Then they proceeded to go 8-5-1, 11-3 and 10-4, with back-to-back AFL Eastern Division Championships and a Super Bowl title.
The other thing this does is it makes the Jets a viable contender for free agents. They know the head coach will be around for three more seasons. So, now that question won’t linger in talks with free agents. They can be more comfortable knowing who the coach will be moving forward.
As Demario Davis told ESPN’s Rich CImini, consistency is a good thing:
"“You’re going to get something different with different teams, so you want something constant. You want your leader to be the same and not wondering what type of response you’re going to get from him. That’s what we get from Coach Bowles. He’s consistent.”"
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Are Maccagnan and Bowles the right men for their jobs? Time will answer that question, but when you look at their record, remember this: The greatest head coach/general manager in the history of the franchise finished his time with a record of 71-77-6. It’s not about where you start; it’s all about the finish line.