In this instance, it isn't about the Jets turning it around, or getting their act together for the stretch run. No, with Buffalo looming Sunday and a chance for the Jets to post a 7-1 midseason mark for only the second time, it is about this: How good can the Jets be this season?
"I've told them this week, when you get to 7-1, you've got one of the best records in football, and you're pulling away from the pack," coach Herman Edwards said Friday. "You're up there with very few teams."
PHOTO: EPA
In fact, if the Jets do win in upstate New York, they will have a 4-1 division record, compared with New England's 3-0 mark. The Jets have only one division game in the second half of the season: against New England, at home, in the next-to-last game. The Patriots have three division games to play in the second half.
This season, with the youngest Jets team he has coached, Edwards has stressed the significance of divisional play. The simple fact is, many of the new players do not understand the extra importance of winning division games.
Even linebacker Jonathan Vilma, the club's top draft choice out of Miami, where he majored in finance and was an academic all-American, admitted Friday that he had never realized the role the division played in determining a team's standing. If clubs are tied at the end of the season, the first tiebreaker is the head-to-head result. Then come the division records.
"Herm made me aware that it was important to win in your division," Vilma said. "He said it in training camp, then before the opening game and then before our first divisional game against Miami. I had no idea it worked like that. When you're in college, you don't think of those things."
But Edwards said that he went beyond Sunday's game in talking to his team about the 2-5 Bills. Most coaches do not talk publicly about the following game. Edwards, however, said he had spoken about the fact that "if we win this, we're 4-1 in the division, 7-1 overall, and how it can set us up for the next week."
"I always try to do that," Edwards added. "I explain what a victory can do for us, and where it puts us in the bigger picture."
Edwards is aware that broadcaster John Madden told the "Monday Night Football" audience last week that the Jets were just a shade below the elite teams.
"Now," said Edwards, "how many teams do you think ever started 7-1? Not many."
He knows that only one Jets team, the 1986 squad, started 7-1. That club made it to 10-1 before losing their final five games of the regular season and falling to the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the playoffs. If the Jets get to 10-1 this year, Edwards is sure to talk about coming up with a different ending than the one 18 years ago.
New England (6-1) at St. Louis (4-3)
The Patriots took their loss to the Steelers badly. As tight end Christian Fouria said, "There's winning and then there's complete misery." Now comes another potential trap. Marc Bulger of the Rams leads the league with 1,985 yards passing and 161 completions, and he has clever targets in Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. They catch the Patriots with injured starting cornerbacks: Ty Law is out four to six weeks with a broken foot and Tyrone Poole is nursing a bad knee.
Minnesota (5-2) at
Indianapolis (4-3)
Randy Moss wins games with his pass-catching heroics, so his strained right hamstring takes the zip out of the Vikings' offense. The Vikings wonder if Moss' sitting out one game now will prevent him from missing several later. Last week, Peyton Manning of the Colts passed for 472 yards and five touchdowns against the Kansas City Chiefs, only to see the Colts' defense, the worst in the league, yield 590 yards. The Colts lost. "We can play a lot better," coach Tony Dungy said, "and we're not doing it."
Houston (5-3) at Denver (4-3)
Who figured the Texans, in their third year, would be playoff contenders? They have won four of their last five games (the loss was in overtime). The offense is lively and quarterback David Carr is sharp. The Broncos are coming off two bad losses. Last week, when Jake Plummer passed for 499 yards against the Atlanta Falcons, the Broncos still lost, and critics started calling him Jake the Mistake. The home field makes the difference here.
New Orleans (3-4) at
San Diego (5-3)
Drew Brees was such a disappointing quarterback last year that the Chargers wanted to dump him in favor of Philip Rivers, their first-round draft choice. This year, with Rivers watching from the bench, Brees has passed for 14 touchdowns against three interceptions. Last Sunday, his five touchdown passes helped rout the Oakland Raiders. The Saints' bye week has helped Deuce McAllister, whose sprained ankle had prevented him from cutting. Now he runs into the NFL's best rushing defense.
Arizona (2-5) at Miami (1-7)
The Dolphins' defense looked helpless Monday night as the Jets rushed for 275 yards. Now the Dolphins are without linebacker Junior Seau, lost for the season with a torn chest muscle.
Kansas City (3-4) at Tampa Bay (2-5)
When the Chiefs rolled up 590 yards against the Colts, Kansas City coach Dick Vermeil said, "I don't add that high." Fullback Mike Alstott of the Bucs is out at least a month with a sprained knee.
Oakland (2-6) at Carolina (1-6)
There is unrest on the Raiders, who have lost five straight games and 16 of 20 overall and 13 straight on the road. Cornerback Charles Woodson says some teammates have been dogging it during games.
Washington (2-5) at Detroit (4-3)
The Redskins' secondary, eaten up by Brett Favre, will get little relief facing Joey Harrington. The Redskins' offense is staying with Mark Brunell, who has the NFL's worst quarterback rating (52.4).
Dallas (3-4) at Cincinnati (2-5)
The Bengals have the league's most generous rushing defense, and the Cowboys have been running more. That pleases coach Bill Parcells because, he says, "It's not like I've got 20 more seasons."
Chicago (2-5) at NY Giants (5-2)
After the Vikings were drubbed by the New York Giants, their coach, Mike Tice, said, "The Giants are not on our schedule next year, thank God." The Bears have some good rookies but they will be lucky to still be in the game by Q3.
Seattle (4-3) at San Francisco (1-6)
Shaun Alexander's 195 yards rushing against the Panthers awakened the Seahawks' offense, which are likely to romp over the 49ers.
Cleveland (3-4) at Baltimore (4-3)
The Colts' big runner, Jamal Lewis, is back. In the Browns' 55 games under Butch Davis, 28 have been won or lost in the final minute.
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