[h=1]6 steps Jets' Todd Bowles must take to keep his job past 2017:[/h] Fix the secondary
Bowles is a former secondary coach, so he knows the Jets' problems with their secondary in 2016 absolutely cannot repeat themselves in 2017. The Jets allowed the NFL's third-highest quarterback rating last season. They tied for the second-fewest interceptions in the league. They were a mess in the secondary all year.
Does Bowles have the back-end defensive talent to get the job done, though? The Jets' lack of talent will be an undercurrent for this entire season, as Bowles tries to retain his job. The Jets replaced declining star Darrelle Revis with the oft-injured Morris Claiborne. What can they get out of Buster Skrine (who is better in the slot), Marcus Williams, and Juston Burris in 2017? Burris played sparingly as a rookie last year.
Establish some clarity at quarterback
Josh McCown isn't going to be with the Jets past 2017. The Jets must figure out what they have in Christian Hackenberg, whom they drafted in Round 2 last year. Meanwhile, this spring, the Jets are taking a long, hard look at perhaps drafting a quarterback like Trubisky, Mahomes, Watson, or Kizer.
The Jets don't need to come away from 2017 knowing that Hackenberg (or perhaps a rookie high draft pick) is definitely going to be a star quarterback for years to come. But they need to find some clarity at this position — whether it's that Hackenberg stinks, or that he showed some potential, or that the rookie did encouraging things. The Jets have to give their young quarterback (whomever that is) a chance to play. They can't go with McCown all season. Time to get some answers, one way or the other, by playing a young guy.
Avoid locker room chemistry and discipline issues
If the Jets' locker room comes apart on Bowles again in 2017, he is a goner. It's that simple. Owner Woody Johnson could not have been pleased with the negative headlines coming out of Florham Park last season. Bowles has downplayed the issues this offseason, but what else do you expect him to say? He needs to fix this stuff. That's all that matters.
To recap: The Jets' biggest issues in 2016 were a feud between wide receiver Brandon Marshall and defensive end Sheldon Richardson, plus the tardiness-related suspension (for one quarter) of Richardson and defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson. Marshall is gone, now playing for the Giants, and Richardson could be traded. Bowles can't have star players showing up late anymore. That's a huge sign of trouble for Bowles if it happens.
Win at least six games
The Jets don't have the talent to make a playoff run in 2017, and that's OK. They are in teardown, get-younger rebuilding mode. This is a full-on rebuild (which makes sense), as the Jets stripped their roster of expensive, aging veterans. The Jets' two-year quick rebuild with veterans from 2015-16 didn't work. They almost made the playoffs in 2015, but that team had way more talent than the 2017 Jets do.
Wins and losses aren't the ultimate objective for Bowles in 2017. He needs to avoid locker room issues and demonstrate progress and development with young players (especially at quarterback). But if the Jets go 5-11 (or worse) for the second straight year, Bowles has to be a goner. Six wins could keep him around, presuming he avoids the locker room issues repeating themselves. Seven wins would surely result in Bowles staying. Johnson has said Bowles doesn't have a playoff mandate in 2017. If he did, Bowles would be doomed.
Show he can be a more complete head coach
Bowles hired first-time NFL offensive coordinator John Morton to replace the retired Chan Gailey this offseason. Meanwhile, Bowles has said he is going to take a more assertive role with the Jets' offense in 2017. Will that be a good thing? Bowles has a defensive background, but he obviously wants to be a more complete head coach.
Whether it's Bowles having a larger role on the offensive side of the ball, or Morton inserting some kind of inventive approach, the Jets' offense needs to improve in 2017. It was a fiasco last season, when the Jets finished 31st in offensive DVOA. Then again, it's not like Bowles' defense set the world on fire. The Jets finished 21st in defensive DVOA.
Demonstrate improved game management
Bowles botched some in-game decisions last season regarding punting and attempting a two-point conversion. As he enters Year 3 as a head coach, he needs to move past these problems. Remember, Bowles had never been a head coach before the Jets hired him in 2015.
For a rookie head coach's first two seasons, he can get the benefit of the doubt with game management mistakes. But eventually, a good head coach has to grasp these parts of the game — clock strategy, etc. We'll see if Bowles is able to master this stuff in 2017, or if he'll prove to be an incapable head coach in this regard.
Bowles is a former secondary coach, so he knows the Jets' problems with their secondary in 2016 absolutely cannot repeat themselves in 2017. The Jets allowed the NFL's third-highest quarterback rating last season. They tied for the second-fewest interceptions in the league. They were a mess in the secondary all year.
Does Bowles have the back-end defensive talent to get the job done, though? The Jets' lack of talent will be an undercurrent for this entire season, as Bowles tries to retain his job. The Jets replaced declining star Darrelle Revis with the oft-injured Morris Claiborne. What can they get out of Buster Skrine (who is better in the slot), Marcus Williams, and Juston Burris in 2017? Burris played sparingly as a rookie last year.
Establish some clarity at quarterback
Josh McCown isn't going to be with the Jets past 2017. The Jets must figure out what they have in Christian Hackenberg, whom they drafted in Round 2 last year. Meanwhile, this spring, the Jets are taking a long, hard look at perhaps drafting a quarterback like Trubisky, Mahomes, Watson, or Kizer.
The Jets don't need to come away from 2017 knowing that Hackenberg (or perhaps a rookie high draft pick) is definitely going to be a star quarterback for years to come. But they need to find some clarity at this position — whether it's that Hackenberg stinks, or that he showed some potential, or that the rookie did encouraging things. The Jets have to give their young quarterback (whomever that is) a chance to play. They can't go with McCown all season. Time to get some answers, one way or the other, by playing a young guy.
Avoid locker room chemistry and discipline issues
If the Jets' locker room comes apart on Bowles again in 2017, he is a goner. It's that simple. Owner Woody Johnson could not have been pleased with the negative headlines coming out of Florham Park last season. Bowles has downplayed the issues this offseason, but what else do you expect him to say? He needs to fix this stuff. That's all that matters.
To recap: The Jets' biggest issues in 2016 were a feud between wide receiver Brandon Marshall and defensive end Sheldon Richardson, plus the tardiness-related suspension (for one quarter) of Richardson and defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson. Marshall is gone, now playing for the Giants, and Richardson could be traded. Bowles can't have star players showing up late anymore. That's a huge sign of trouble for Bowles if it happens.
Win at least six games
The Jets don't have the talent to make a playoff run in 2017, and that's OK. They are in teardown, get-younger rebuilding mode. This is a full-on rebuild (which makes sense), as the Jets stripped their roster of expensive, aging veterans. The Jets' two-year quick rebuild with veterans from 2015-16 didn't work. They almost made the playoffs in 2015, but that team had way more talent than the 2017 Jets do.
Wins and losses aren't the ultimate objective for Bowles in 2017. He needs to avoid locker room issues and demonstrate progress and development with young players (especially at quarterback). But if the Jets go 5-11 (or worse) for the second straight year, Bowles has to be a goner. Six wins could keep him around, presuming he avoids the locker room issues repeating themselves. Seven wins would surely result in Bowles staying. Johnson has said Bowles doesn't have a playoff mandate in 2017. If he did, Bowles would be doomed.
Show he can be a more complete head coach
Bowles hired first-time NFL offensive coordinator John Morton to replace the retired Chan Gailey this offseason. Meanwhile, Bowles has said he is going to take a more assertive role with the Jets' offense in 2017. Will that be a good thing? Bowles has a defensive background, but he obviously wants to be a more complete head coach.
Whether it's Bowles having a larger role on the offensive side of the ball, or Morton inserting some kind of inventive approach, the Jets' offense needs to improve in 2017. It was a fiasco last season, when the Jets finished 31st in offensive DVOA. Then again, it's not like Bowles' defense set the world on fire. The Jets finished 21st in defensive DVOA.
Demonstrate improved game management
Bowles botched some in-game decisions last season regarding punting and attempting a two-point conversion. As he enters Year 3 as a head coach, he needs to move past these problems. Remember, Bowles had never been a head coach before the Jets hired him in 2015.
For a rookie head coach's first two seasons, he can get the benefit of the doubt with game management mistakes. But eventually, a good head coach has to grasp these parts of the game — clock strategy, etc. We'll see if Bowles is able to master this stuff in 2017, or if he'll prove to be an incapable head coach in this regard.
