Call me cynical, but it’s official, the 2006 NFL Draft Watch has begun! If you bothered to watch the last minute 1:37 of the Saints/Jets ESPN Finale on Sunday night, you know exactly what I mean.
Far be it from me to suggest that any NFL team would just be playing the ropes instead of trying to win, but it was never as painfully obvious as it was last Sunday at the Meadowlands.
In early November, there was considerable buzz around the league that Jet HC Herm Edwards was headed to Kansas City to succeed Dick Vermiel at the helm of the Chiefs. The plane’s owner, Woody Johnson, somehow convinced Edwards that his future was with Gang Green and he received a reprieve for a terribly injury-plagued 2005.
Armed with that vote of confidence, let’s take a look at Edwards’ “Watch Management” in his team’s final series, considering the Jets had lost five straight and hadn’t won since Oct. 9.
(1:37) First and ten, Jets 46, no timeouts. Brooks Bollinger completes an improbable pass, skewering Doug Jolley, who claws his way to the Saints 33. At this point, the Jets have used 14 seconds and have a 50-yard FG for the win with a kicker (Mike Nugent) who was already 4-for-4 on the night.
(1:24) First and 10, Saints 33. Curtis Martin, who has 93 yards on 23 carries to this point, unarmed right for loss of one yard. No spikes, clock running.
(1:01) Second and 11. Out of the shotgun, Bollinger loses a fumble and is dropped for a loss of three yards. Once again, there is no peak and the clock continues to tick.
(0:38) Third and 14. Out shotgun, Bollinger finds Jerricho Cottechery for a big three-yarder up the middle of the field. At this point, Edwards can’t stop the clock and jogs Mike Nugent. Haslett wasn’t inclined to freeze the rookie out of Ohio State with his last time out.
(0:14) Fourth and 14. Nugent’s kick goes on center but stays inches from the crossbar. Hard loss Herm. The Jets drop to 2-9 to join the Texans, Packers, 49ers and possibly Arizona in the race for the top pick. True conspiracy theorists could question any of the other four losses this week.
The Texans blew a 21-point halftime lead against the Rams and then allowed 10 points in the final 26 seconds before succumbing in overtime. Did I mention the Rams were led by a freshman from Harvard who threw for 310 yards and 3 TDs in less than three quarters of work?
The Packers led the entire second half before allowing the Eagles 12 to play a 60-yard drive, resulting in FG with 4:31 left. The Eagles lead 16-14. No problem, Favre takes Pack to FG range for the winner, right?
Mistaken! Andrae Thurman fumbles via KO and the Eagles manage to run another 2:34 off the clock and add a knockout FG that sends all Packer (+4.5) ticket holders looking for Jack Daniels and Draino.
The 49ers lead 14-9 at halftime, giving up 24 unanswered to the Titans, who ultimately win 33-22. The week before, Ken Dorsey threw the 2-point conversion from the last play to the ground against the Rams. Cards drove 56 yards in under a minute only to see his return deflected on Kurt Warner’s fumble.
On Saturday, USC’s Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush will line up vs. their crosstown rival, the UCLA Bruins, in a game that will likely secure the Trojans their long-awaited Rose Bowl matchup with Texas, possibly decide the Heisman Trophy and, depending on performance, sway the coveted first overall pick in next year’s NFL draft.
On Sunday, Houston, the Jets, the Packers, the 49ers and the Cardinals will meet in games that in many ways will determine their short- and long-term futures. It’s probably a good idea to keep that in mind as you do your craft this week.