What now for the New York Jets?
It must be big, and I mean really big, if Rex Ryan is at a loss for words. This is the guy who made football headlines before the regular season opened for his way with words. But after the Jets were handed their worst defeat in a long, long time, it was
a different story.
The blame game is going to be played and Rex Ryan would be the first on the list. Ryan considered the possibility of a defeat but he was not prepared for the embarrassment that befell the Jets. 3 points against 45 is just brutal.
There were many who doubted the Jets abilities and questioned if they really deserved to be the AFC East leaders. Their statistics have been nothing spectacular and makes one wonder how have they got through the season so far. The answer to that question
might have something to do with their schedule.
The New York Jets have done well but only against teams which have done poorly. In the first 8 weeks they defeated only one team which has a win percentage of better than .50. That, surprisingly was New England. In the second week the Jets defeated the Patriots
with 28 points against 14.
Even the games that the Jets won turned out to be pretty close. Too close sometimes. In week six the Jets almost lost to the Denver Broncos. The Broncos have had a terrible season and currently have a record of 3-9.
The Broncos took a lead over the Jets which they didn’t give up until late in the fourth quarter. By the end of the third quarter, the two teams were tied but the Broncos edged into the lead again. It was only after a last minute touchdown by LaDainian Tomlinson
that the Jets won the game.
They close call kept coming. In week 9 the Detroit Lions held off the Jets. New York was able to equalize in the last minute and push the game into overtime. That was against the Detroit Lions. They are close to the very bottom of the League Standings and
the Jets are at the top. If it was just one game against one team, it could be dismissed. But over the regular season the Jets barely holding out was a regular things.
After only just defeating the Lions, the Jets were pushed to their limits in the very next game against Cleveland. The Browns pushed the Jets into overtime again. New York won the game in the end but they did not have the aura of champions. That feel of
Champions was missing again when the Jets faced the Houston Texans. They only won in the final seconds of the game.
Some would say that the close calls show the Jets are a team that can keeps fighting till the very end. That is true but what it also shows that the Jets are a team that has been struggling to keep it together and stay afloat. They managed it so far but
only against teams that haven’t been good this year.
When they faced opponents like the Baltimore Ravens and the Green Bay Packers, they were defeated. Monday night’s crushing defeat just reinforced the perception that the New York Jets have been getting by more on luck than skill. Their match against the
Patriots was their opportunity to silence the critics. They would have more opportunities in the coming weeks when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Bears.
The New York Jets still have a good shot at the Playoffs. They will face the Miami Dolphins again and the Buffalo Bills in the last game of the regular season. They Jets can beat those two teams. An 11-5 record might get them to the playoffs but not much
further unless they really improve their game.
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