New York Jets

New York Jets Head Coach Profile

Eric Mangini returns to lead the New York Jets for a second season, after five years in a defensive coordinator coaching position with the New England Patriots (after the first year as a defensive backs coach). Though relatively new to the head coaching position, Mangini is a seasoned coaching veteran with 12 seasons in the NFL, including a role in five division titles, three conference titles and three Super Bowls. Mangini’s list of mentors is noteworthy, having worked under both Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells in the past. At 35 years old, Mangini was (formerly) the youngest head coach in the NFL.

Under his tenure in the 2006 season, Mangini was able to lead the New York Jets to a regular season record of 10-6, earning them an AFC Wild Card playoff berth, where they faced) and ultimately lost to) the New England Patriots.

New York Jets Off-Season Moves

The New York Jets made a serious move by trading their second-round draft picks to acquire running back Thomas Jones from the Chicago Bears , fresh off of their Super Bowl loss. With his proven track record on the biggest stage in the NFL, the New York Jets figure to have hit the jackpot, and secured a much more solid back than any rookie who would have been available to them in the draft.

During the draft, the Jets picked up cornerback Darrelle Revis (who looks to be a real standout) in the first round and linebacker David Harris in the second. The New York Jets offense is fresh off of a full season which saw Chad Pennington ’s comeback, a feat that was nothing short of fantastic, given their winning record and playoff berth. Whether or not he will be able to duplicate this performance is another story, although Thomas Jones should prove useful in taking some of the pressure off of Pennington. The New York Jets further worked on the quarterback position, releasing Patrick Ramsey and acquiring Marques Tuiasosopo.

New York Jets 2007-08 Season Outlook

For the New York Jets, coach Eric Mangini’s run to the Wild Card playoff spot in the AFC East was nothing short of spectacular, and quarterback Chad Pennington’s complete healthy season played a major factor in getting them there. The support that Pennington found in his passing game should still be there, given the return of the New York Jets two top receivers, Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery, who combined for two thousand plus yards and twelve touchdowns last year. Only the season itself will tell if Pennington’s arm will once again make it through an entire season, having twice gone down to shoulder surgery. His passes still lack big time pro quarterback velocity, the effects of which are most obviously seen in the sixteen interceptions he threw last season. Surely, this number will have to be reduced if the New York Jets intend to repeat their successful 2006 season.

The addition of running back Thomas Jones from the Chicago Bears should prove significant, and may be key in preserving Pennington’s questionable throwing shoulder.

The New York Jets traded three draft picks to have a chance at rookie cornerback Darrelle Revis, who is assumed to begin the season in a starting role. Lastly, it still remains to be seen if Jets players will continue to positively respond to Mangini’s unique coaching techniques.

New York Jets Trivia

The 1969 Super Bowl was the first AFL-NFL championship to actually be called “The Super Bowl,” named after a toy “Super Ball” belonging to the child of one of the owners.The legendary Joe Namath-Don Maynard connection had little effect on Super Bowl III other than intimidation. Maynard was injured and Namath through a long pass to him early in the game that Maynard was unable to catch. The defense was shaken up, though and the subsequent coverage on Maynard allowed free reign for George Sauer, Jr. the receiver on the other side.

Wesley Walker, one of the all-time great Jets receivers in the ‘80s, was legally blind in one eye.

Leon Hess, the oil magnate, was the owner of the New York Jets for many years. The green and white of his Hess trucks and gas stations parallels that of the New York Jets uniforms.

New York Jets 2007-08 Roster

New York Jets 2007-08 Depth Chart

New York Jets – Giants Stadium

Construction Began: 1972
Opened: October 10, 1976 
Capacity: 79,469
Location: East Rutherford, NJ
Surface: FieldTurf

Home of the New York Jets since they left Shea Stadium in Queens, NY, for the 1984 season. It doubles as the home to the NY Giants, as well as hosting many concerts and sporting events throughout the year. During the Jets early residence in the stadium, they experienced little more than half capacity and a loss of fan attendance as most regular season ticket holders were from New York City's 5 boroughs, especially Brooklyn and Queens. Over time, a new “local” fan base developed, and the “Gang Green” enjoys many games on sell-out basis. Presently, both organizations housed in Giants Stadium are in discussions, seeking to build a new stadium with modern amenities near to the present location.