Jacksonville at New York


Breaking down the Jags and Jets


Focal Point: Receiving tandems


Jets take crash course in Playoffs 101


Jags rush off to New York


Dozen years make big difference for Jets


Scouting report

He might be singing a soft song in his new tortilla chips commercial, but Bill Parcells is as crotchety as ever when it comes to talking football. Wherever he has coached, Parcells brings a no-nonsense style and no tolerance for failure.

	No matter the season, winning is foremost in Bill Parcells' mind.

He also brings wins in bunches and generates loyalty that's tough to find in these days of free agency. Check a Jets roster. It's full of former ex-Giants and ex-Patriots, many of whom wouldn't play for anyone else.

In the Sunday Conversation, ESPN's Tom Jackson talked with the Jets coach about his penchant for winning and his feelings about this year's team.

Jackson: You're somewhat ahead of schedule in terms of rebuilding this franchise.

Parcells: Well, I don't have a schedule. We're trying to win the first game, the second game, the preseason games, the postseason games. All the games that we ever play, we're trying to win.

And I don't think you can create a mentality that ever lets the players believe for one second that the game you're playing isn't important.

Jackson: Two years ago, you inherited a 1-15 team. Is it a good thing that some of these players experienced that kind of season?

Parcells: Here's what I think it has done for them: It's like a badge of honor. Not proud of the fact, but that, "Hey, we survived this, and we are now different."

That's what I think the players who were here ... Victor Green, Kyle Brady, Matt O'Dwyer, John Elliott, Mo Lewis, Aaron Glenn and Ray Mickens ... that's what they bring. "Hey, you know, we were that (1-15) but we survived it, and we are now something else. And we're more proud of what we are now."

Jackson: You brought Dave Meggett back into the fold.

Parcells: Well, I've been talking to him all fall.

Jackson: But you have a feeling for him.

Parcells: Yeah, he's a money player. I know we lost our punt returner and our third-down back in Leon Johnson. Unfortunately he broke a rib. Now I think he's a pretty good player, too. But I said, "Hmmmm, I've got a third-down back and a punt-returning and kickoff-returning job. Now let me see just how David's doing because I know he can do those jobs."

When I called him on the phone, I said, "David this is Bill. How you doing?"

He said, "I can help you now if you need me."

That's all I needed to hear because I know he's telling me the truth. I know he's not just looking to come in here and be fooling around because he knows that if I bring him in here, he's coming in here to play.

That's what life's about here. That's how you survive. You get good people, and you try to treat them right and you expect a good day's work from them.

	Vinny Testaverde Quarterback New York Jets Profile Statistics Misc. stats Career Notes
	1998 SEASON STATISTICS CMP ATT PCT YDS TD INT 259 429 61.5 3,256 29 7

Jackson: I have always been a fan of Vinny Testaverde, and he had already had a Pro Bowl year, but he was not considered one of the better quarterbacks in the league. He comes to you and within the course of the year he's in the Pro Bowl.

Parcells: All I told him, ever, (was) two things. I said, "Look, you've been in a three-receiver offense a lot of your life. Now I have some backs here who can catch the ball, and I said we'll have some tight ends who will produce for you, catching the ball. I want you to think about that as well as getting the ball to the wide receivers."

Second point I made to him was, "Look, when you start to run the ball, just run it and slide down and go back and make the next play." And that's one thing he has really picked up on. When he pulls the ball down, now, he's making very, very good decisions. Not bad decisions.

Jackson: This is a huge question: How good is this team?

Parcells: I don't know. Battle-hardened, I tell you that. Battle-hardened right now. We've been good enough to withstand the season's pressure ... We were 0-2, you know. You don't know whether you'll ever win a game much less wind up winning 12.