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Gary Myers..New York daily News
Vinny should get
job back in a snap
Vinny Testaverde suits up for Jets for first time since 2003, signing on to bail out desperate Gang Green.
Vinny Testaverde immediately delivered the desired short-term effect for Herm Edwards. He has brought a sense of security and calmness to the Jets, a team Wayne Chrebet admitted was "shell-shocked" after losing Chad Pennington and Jay Fiedler.
Brooks Bollinger, who has thrown nine passes in his first two years, will start Sunday in Baltimore against Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, but it shouldn't take more than a week or two for Testaverde to reclaim his old job.
Testaverde was clearly the best choice for Edwards, considering the spotty resumes of the no-name alternatives on the market. His presence in the locker room and at practice yesterday gave the Jets hope, even if it was false hope. But he has a history with many of these players and has a better chance to energize them than any of the eight quarterbacks the Jets worked out. "It felt like home again," Testaverde said.
Locker-room politics and an attempt to appease the veterans may have played as big a role in Edwards' decision to bring in Testaverde than anything he can realistically deliver on the field. Would Doug Johnson have inspired any confidence? Or Jesse Palmer? Edwards couldn't even remember the name of Kliff Kingsbury, signed to be the No. 3 QB, who emerged Tuesday from what Edwards joked was "like a punt, pass and kick contest" on the Jets practice field.
Testaverde at least has taken this team to the playoffs twice. "Vinny knows us. We're used to functioning with him. I was hoping to God they called him," Curtis Martin said. "We're going to be tried, we're going to be tested and it's all about how we deal with adversity now."
The way the season suddenly came crashing down on Sunday must make the overtime playoff loss in Pittsburgh even more painful for the Jets. It's so hard to even get to the divisional round and the Jets were so close to making it to the AFC Championship Game. Those kinds of opportunities don't come every year. All the effort the Jets put into trying to set themselves up to take it a step further this season is wasted.
Testaverde will be 42 in November, a time for quarterbacks to be reflecting on their careers, not trying to write one final chapter. In the last two years, two coaches who truly admire Testaverde - Edwards and Bill Parcells - elected not to bring him back. Edwards went back to Testaverde out of desperation.
He started 15 games for Parcells last year in Dallas and came in at halftime of the one other game. The Cowboys finished 6-10. Testaverde threw 17 TD passes and 20 INTs. He will always throw the prettiest pass in the league, but there is more to playing the position, of course. He needs a fortress around him because he has no mobility.
Can Testaverde salvage the Jets' season? "I'm sure he can. It's just a matter of protecting him and giving him opportunities," Cowboys receiver Keyshawn Johnson, a former Jets teammate, said yesterday.
But what about all those picks last year?
"You have to assess the interceptions," Johnson said. "Offhand, I can remember three of them caused by me, another three caused by Terry (Glenn) and some at the end of games trying to throw Hail Marys. How many did he throw in games we were losing and trying to make a play? I think he could still win with the right players around him."
Testaverde was back at practice looking like he never left. The only thing that changed is that his locker is directly opposite from where it was in his previous six-year run with the Jets. He also reclaimed his parking spot from Kevin Mawae, reserved for the oldest player on the team. Mawae was happy to lose it. Mawae was "sad" Pennington got hurt, but seemed relieved the Jets signed Testaverde.
"For a lot of guys here when he was here, we know what he's capable of," Mawae said. "He's 41 but he's probably better than 16 or 18 of the starting quarterbacks in the league right now."
The Jets weren't acting like they were feeling sorry for themselves. One of Edwards' trademark pep talks in the morning got them focused. But overcoming the loss of their top two quarterbacks is more than any team can be expected to do. Edwards must remain strong in front of his team, even if the final 13 games seem a battle just to remain respectable. "I'm not a panic guy," he said. "I don't do that. When you're a leader, you can never panic no matter what's happening. The building could be falling down. Fire could be going all places. Somebody has to make a decision how we get out."
If Edwards gets out of this mess, it will be the greatest escape since Houdini was performing his magic.
Originally published on September 28, 2005
Vinny should get
job back in a snap
Vinny Testaverde suits up for Jets for first time since 2003, signing on to bail out desperate Gang Green.
Vinny Testaverde immediately delivered the desired short-term effect for Herm Edwards. He has brought a sense of security and calmness to the Jets, a team Wayne Chrebet admitted was "shell-shocked" after losing Chad Pennington and Jay Fiedler.
Brooks Bollinger, who has thrown nine passes in his first two years, will start Sunday in Baltimore against Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, but it shouldn't take more than a week or two for Testaverde to reclaim his old job.
Testaverde was clearly the best choice for Edwards, considering the spotty resumes of the no-name alternatives on the market. His presence in the locker room and at practice yesterday gave the Jets hope, even if it was false hope. But he has a history with many of these players and has a better chance to energize them than any of the eight quarterbacks the Jets worked out. "It felt like home again," Testaverde said.
Locker-room politics and an attempt to appease the veterans may have played as big a role in Edwards' decision to bring in Testaverde than anything he can realistically deliver on the field. Would Doug Johnson have inspired any confidence? Or Jesse Palmer? Edwards couldn't even remember the name of Kliff Kingsbury, signed to be the No. 3 QB, who emerged Tuesday from what Edwards joked was "like a punt, pass and kick contest" on the Jets practice field.
Testaverde at least has taken this team to the playoffs twice. "Vinny knows us. We're used to functioning with him. I was hoping to God they called him," Curtis Martin said. "We're going to be tried, we're going to be tested and it's all about how we deal with adversity now."
The way the season suddenly came crashing down on Sunday must make the overtime playoff loss in Pittsburgh even more painful for the Jets. It's so hard to even get to the divisional round and the Jets were so close to making it to the AFC Championship Game. Those kinds of opportunities don't come every year. All the effort the Jets put into trying to set themselves up to take it a step further this season is wasted.
Testaverde will be 42 in November, a time for quarterbacks to be reflecting on their careers, not trying to write one final chapter. In the last two years, two coaches who truly admire Testaverde - Edwards and Bill Parcells - elected not to bring him back. Edwards went back to Testaverde out of desperation.
He started 15 games for Parcells last year in Dallas and came in at halftime of the one other game. The Cowboys finished 6-10. Testaverde threw 17 TD passes and 20 INTs. He will always throw the prettiest pass in the league, but there is more to playing the position, of course. He needs a fortress around him because he has no mobility.
Can Testaverde salvage the Jets' season? "I'm sure he can. It's just a matter of protecting him and giving him opportunities," Cowboys receiver Keyshawn Johnson, a former Jets teammate, said yesterday.
But what about all those picks last year?
"You have to assess the interceptions," Johnson said. "Offhand, I can remember three of them caused by me, another three caused by Terry (Glenn) and some at the end of games trying to throw Hail Marys. How many did he throw in games we were losing and trying to make a play? I think he could still win with the right players around him."
Testaverde was back at practice looking like he never left. The only thing that changed is that his locker is directly opposite from where it was in his previous six-year run with the Jets. He also reclaimed his parking spot from Kevin Mawae, reserved for the oldest player on the team. Mawae was happy to lose it. Mawae was "sad" Pennington got hurt, but seemed relieved the Jets signed Testaverde.
"For a lot of guys here when he was here, we know what he's capable of," Mawae said. "He's 41 but he's probably better than 16 or 18 of the starting quarterbacks in the league right now."
The Jets weren't acting like they were feeling sorry for themselves. One of Edwards' trademark pep talks in the morning got them focused. But overcoming the loss of their top two quarterbacks is more than any team can be expected to do. Edwards must remain strong in front of his team, even if the final 13 games seem a battle just to remain respectable. "I'm not a panic guy," he said. "I don't do that. When you're a leader, you can never panic no matter what's happening. The building could be falling down. Fire could be going all places. Somebody has to make a decision how we get out."
If Edwards gets out of this mess, it will be the greatest escape since Houdini was performing his magic.
Originally published on September 28, 2005