JT Will Have To Wait

There was some talk during last weeks media coverage of the NY Jets second consecutive AFC Championship game that Jason Taylor might need a Super Bowl win or at the very least a Super Bowl appearance to realistically have a shot at making the Hall of Fame.

Sorry JT, not this year.

I really haven’t been much of a fan of JT since he joined the Jets so there was zero part of me rooting for him to get to the big game.    So while the debates about JT’s future HOF status will continue, the Jets once again, break the hearts of their fans.

And the rest of the AFC smile.

I know there will be a lot of “Well, at least they got there.” and “where were the Dolphins, oh yeah, watching at home on TV”.  And that is rightfully deserved, the Dolphins were pathetic offensively this season but they did at least beat the Green Bay Packers and in reality beat the Pittsburgh Steelers sans a very bad ref call.  So they can take some comfort in believing that maybe they really are not that far off.

But here is the crutch to this.  The Jets, well, their window of opportunity to make the big game will be closing soon.  Despite their ability the last two seasons to make the conference championship game, they are getting older.  Key draft picks will soon be looking at new contracts and veterans signed two and three years ago will be finding their back-loaded deals coming up for renewal or worse, actually paid out.

There will be some questions as well with the new CBA and how those structured contracts will affect the teams dynamics.  Regardless they made it one game away for a second straight year…and with much approval from division rival fans, they lost.

Nothing was sweeter than to see a 3rd down completion that sent Rex Ryan into a headset tossing, F-Bomb throwing maniac.  At least he composed himself quick enough to avoid a league call.  Jason Taylor spent his last two plays of the 2010 season in a pushing match with two or three Steelers lineman who didn’t appreciate the late attempts at heroics of Taylor trying to get back to Big Ben quick enough to force a fumble.  The bad part is after the play was over, he still pushed a little more.

Taylor may or may not come back next season.  His attempt to get to the big game fell short.  It’s the closest in a 14 year career that he has ever come to making it.  I don’t feel an ounce of pity for him.  Honestly, JT could have been playing for any other team but the Patriots or Bills, and I would have been cheering him on.  Instead, I simply get to smile at the notion that he came up short.