“Complacency can be adisease . . . and I’m notgoing to let it set in.”
Whether those words, spoken by Herman Edwards this week, ring true in the minds and hearts of his players today will go a long way toward determining the kind of season the Jets will ultimately carve out for themselves.
Today’s opponent, the 2-6 Chiefs, represent a potential springboard for the 5-3 Jets, who are still high off their quality 16-9 win over the Saints last Sunday night in New Orleans.
It also represents what coaches call a “trap” game.
The fact that it’s a home game in the so-called comforts of Giants Stadium doesn’t mean much for the Jets, who are 1-3 on home turf this season, 4-0 on the road.
To illustrate the dangers of the “trap” game, some coaches use props to get their point across to their players. Bill Parcells, for example, used to place mouse traps in strategic places around his team’s locker room as a reminder to his players.
Edwards simply spoke to the players, beginning on Wednesday, and kept it up all week.
“We can’t fall into the trap,” Edwards said. “New Orleans went and beat Rams on road, a big game for them, and they were to play San Francisco this week. We were the middle game for them.
“Now, we have a big win against New Orleans on the road and we play Miami [next] week. We can’t forget about the Chiefs, because they’re a pretty good football team. They lost to both of the best teams in the (AFC), the (6-1) Raiders and (6-1) Pittsburgh, by three points.”
Edwards’ message is this: Don’t be lulled into a state of comfort by the Chiefs’ 2-6 record, particularly since Kansas City is coming off an upset of the Chargers last week.
“They’re a good team; they just haven’t finished off games while we have,” Jets’ DT Steve Martin, a former Chief, said.
“We tried to make a point to the players about trying to stay away form getting caught in the trap, feeling good about themselves,” Edwards said. “For this team at the halfway point, this is where teams start separating themselves. Every game is critical now. Every game you can win, you put pressure on a lot of other teams.
“We’ve put ourselves in a position where we’ve got to win games, however we can.”
A win today against the Chiefs and the Jets will find themselves playing the Dolphins in Miami next Sunday with first place in the AFC East hanging in the balance.
Looking ahead, the Jets have a bye week following the Miami game and then a home game against the Patriots following that.
So opportunity lurks for the Jets – as long as they can take care of business at home today. That, however, has been a nagging problem. The Jets’ only home victory this season was a 21-17 comeback over Miami.
“It baffles me,” Curtis Martin said of the Jets’ 1-3 home record. “Usually, it’s the reverse. I think in the second half of the season it’s going to be key for us to win at home.”
As much as the Jets’ home record is a source of concern, so, too, is their curious offense, which has produced only two touchdowns in the last 38 possessions (including seven turnovers), dating back to the 21-17 win over Miami on Oct. 14.
“Our offense been able to move ball up and down the field but not get touchdowns, and that’s going to catch up to us,” Edwards said. “We don’t finish. We turn the ball over. There are miscues here or there. We can’t afford that, because it’ll catch up with us.”
Scoring more touchdowns, Martin said, “is something we have to get corrected. It’s going to be the difference between going to the playoffs and going home for the holidays.”
