ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The irony is the fact that the Jets improved as much as they did — and won as often as they did — may lend a different feeling to Todd Bowles’ rookie year as a head coach than it probably required. Or deserved.
After the brutal 4-12 season of a year ago that cost Rex Ryan his job and began a massive housecleaning in Florham Park, an 8-8 season probably would have been looked at as a grand stride. A 9-7 mark probably would have been looked at as a mini-miracle.
And 10-6?
In a lot of circumstances, 10-6 would have been seen as some kind of otherworldly breakout year. But that would have been in most other years, when 10-6 would’ve likely meant a playoff berth. This time, it means the best record among the league’s 20 non-playoff teams, a dubious achievement for anyone.
And the way it happened … well, Bowles’ career may only be 16 games old. But he has to know there are some things he’ll have to answer for.
Such as: not calling a timeout late in the first half, which would have allowed the Jets one more possession before halftime.
“I didn’t think we had enough time,” he explained after the 22-17 loss, “and they were at fourth-and-2, and we didn’t want to give them a chance to think it over too much.”
Such as: Chris Ivory only carrying the ball six times — one of which was a 58-yard dash — while Stevan Ridley carried nine times.
“Part of the game plan,” he said.
Such as: With everything on the line, how could the Jets come through with their smallest effort of the season, especially early in the game?
“We didn’t get it done, and we had some chances to make some plays,” Bowles said. “We didn’t make enough plays and they did. All we asked for was opportunity, and we didn’t take advantage of it. We knew it would be one of these types of ballgames.”
So Bowles’ maiden campaign ends at 10-6, which is the same mark Eric Mangini had as a rookie coach in 2006 (which was good enough to make the playoffs) and a game better than both Ryan in 2009 and Herman Edwards in 2001, when 9-7 was good enough for both to make the playoffs.
It actually seems unfair that Bowles will now be lumped with both Al Groh (9-7 in his only season, 2000) and Bill Parcells (9-7 in his first year, 1997), but Bowles was unbowed, even at the reality that double-digit wins wasn’t enough to get his team in the dance.
“You’ve got to win enough to get in,” he said. “It means we’ll have to win 11 or 12 next year.
“Any loss stings. Because it’s the last loss, it’ll stay with you as a team.”
And, no doubt, as a coach.