In one earhole, out the other
Parcells concerned about Jets' mental mistakes
Posted: Monday October 12, 1998 04:06 PM
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Parcells: "I don't know if I would say (the Jets are) an immature team or a mature team, but that characteristic is fairly common with an immature team." AP |
HEMPSTEAD, New York (AP) -- Bill Parcells stood before his team and
cautioned them about all that could happen if they weren't careful. A few
days later, he watched all those warnings go for naught.
The New York Jets
presented their coach with a real stinker on Sunday, falling 30-10 at St.
Louis, where the Rams hadn't won in eight games.
"I was really disappointed with what happened yesterday from just the way
we gave the game away," Parcells said Monday. "We kept giving them
opportunity after opportunity, and when we had our few -- which were only a
few -- something adverse happened.
"I recall on Wednesday standing before the team and telling them how this
game would go if we didn't have that edge. I made reference to four or five
things, and every single one of them happened. You could see it coming, and
you try to prepare your team for it. But I didn't."
That rare admission of guilt on Parcells' part came after he saw the Jets
make his worst fears come true. He told them if the defense was lethargic,
it wouldn't force any turnovers. Although it did recover a fumble,
linebacker Mo Lewis
immediately fumbled it right back as he attempted to run with it.
He alerted his defensive linemen to be careful about jumping offsides,
because Rams quarterback Tony Banks would take
advantage by scrambling on the free plays. Yet, tackle Jason Ferguson went
offside in the second quarter, helping keep a Rams drive going.
Parcells mentioned how Amp
Lee could hurt the Jets out of the backfield as a receiver, and New
York even devised a double-coverage scheme to handle Lee. But Lee had six
receptions for 62 yards.
"If we didn't watch it and we weren't alert, they would disrupt our
offensive sequences by some pressure or forcing some kind of mental
mistake," Parcells also warned. "And we had Keyshawn [Johnson] wide open on
that halfback pass -- we've got a touchdown there -- but we get a mental
error [in blocking] and we don't throw it.
"We get a short-yardage situation on third-and-1 and we don't make it, and
they're in the same defense we practice against. But we have another mental
error.
"It's not just one play, there were about 10 of those."
Clearly, the Jets (2-3) weren't listening when the coach spoke to them. Or
they simply didn't get the message, and that's a sign of immaturity.
"I don't know if I would say it is an immature team or a mature team, but
that characteristic is fairly common with an immature team," he said. "But
some of the more disappointing performances were not necessarily from the
young players."
Indeed, veteran linebackers Pepper Johnson and Dwayne Gordon made some
critical mistakes. So did the offensive linemen, from longtime pro Jumbo Elliott to rookie Jason Fabini.
Parcells knows he must get this inattentiveness cured immediately. He looks
at the schedule and sees next Monday night's game at New England, followed
by a home game with Atlanta (4-1) and a trip to Kansas City (4-2).
"I really can't dwell on this too long," he said. "I'm just trying to get
the team performing the way it did two weeks ago, and I know we are capable
of it."
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