Storyline: Are they here? Have the Jets revived that defense they loved oh-so-dearly? Is it possible that they traveled back in time and stepped in the fountain of youth? Written by Joe Rodriguez, North New Jersey.
Déjà vu is what the French call it. If only there was a French word meaning “not quite Déjà vu but almost Déjà vu”, but I digress. Let’s quickly go back to the 2009 New York Jets season – or at least the first two games. A new and “handsome”, if I do say so myself, quarterback surged onto the New York scene, along with a rookie head coach and hard-nosed defense that, all within the NFL community, dismissed as inadequate to say the least.
Courtesy: Rick Stewart/Getty Images
The Mark Sanchez-Rex Ryan Era started with brash and bold predictions and the ridiculing of a New England team that, as of two years prior, went on to a perfect regular season. With stars like Darrelle Revis lifting the Jets defense and Nick Mangold anchoring the offensive line, they would use its signature ground and pound philosophy as a kind-of-religious mantra for the believers.
It all started with the season-opening 24-7 win on the road against the Houston Texans followed by the Home-Opener against the hated, which is an understatement by the way, New England Patriots, which would result in a 16-9 win and put the spotlight solely on the seemingly real-deal Jets. Can you see it yet? If you can’t well then I’ll let you in on my one man inside joke. Now prepare to have your mind blown.
Fast forward to the 2015 New York Jets season and, well would you look what we got here? Déjà vu, kind of; New quarterback? Check! Ryan Fitzpatrick. Rookie Head Coach? Check! Todd Bowles. Outstanding Defense? Check and mate! If you had doubts about this defense (and I haven’t the faintest idea why you would) just look at not only who’s on this years 2015 roster with the letters CB next to it, but also watch the whooping the Jets defense put on the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts. And trust me, I know exactly what some of you naysayers or Giants fans might declare.
Johnny Manziel? And who in God’s name is going to step up and help Andrew Luck? Yeah, yeah I’m right there with you. But in the NFL like any other sport, you play who’s on your schedule. You knock them down, and when you do it the way the New York Jets have done it it’s clear that this defense has the opportunity to be just as special as the 2009 Jets defense – except better this time around. While the 2009 Jets (2010 for that matter as well) had an exceptional secondary, they never had a formidable defensive line like the one we see now.
Courtesy: jetscostcompare.com
I in no way condone Idzik’s General Managing skills, since I still have nightmares about the 2014 season; Antonio Allen playing corner, I get chills just thinking about it. The fact of the matter is, the Jets have stopped being their own worst enemy. They have stopped putting the team on the back pages for all to see fail year after year, and they have stopped hiring egotistical head coaches, whether it be the quiet “my way or no way” Eric Mangini or the brash yet still lovable Rex Ryan. For once, a real grown up is standing at the helm which Jets fans haven’t seen since the likes of Bill Parcells.
The New York Jets have the opportunity to ride this momentum like a Queen riding her fire-breathing dragon straight into Westoros and claiming her iron throne as Queen of the Andals. I really love Game of Thrones. Their only opponent that can truly end their season on a down note is the New York Jets themselves. Fitzpatrick is nothing more than a “Game Manager”, but that is all we need. That is all any team truly needs when you have a Top-3 defense in the NFL, weapons like Marshall and Decker on the outside, and a top-5 offensive line with a running attack that can keep any opposing quarterback on the sidelines.
Momentum is the name of the game, and with the lowly Eagles being the next pin up that the Jets must knock down, there is no reason to believe the Jets can’t go into the bye week undefeated. But one game at a time is what every coach always said. So we’ll take the win for today, party for the next 24 hours, and then on to the Philly it is.
