After a rather restless night. It's time to get up off the floor and move on from what was a stunning night as a Jets fan. After the game was over I decided to check out my facebook page, just to get a sense of what the initial reaction was to this loss. Obviously there was a lot of venom and rightfully so coming from most of you. But then I saw a post that had 3 little words that drove me insane.
Same....Old....Jets!
I won't say who wrote it but if you feel the same way as this severely misguided individual then I have 3 words for you.
Chill....Out....People!
There's no question that this was so far the biggest loss in franchise history and not because of the score but because of what transpired from the outcome. This was supposed to be the game that proved to us that the Jets were for real and that they could step up in the bright lights of prime time. Last night sadly proved to me what I was feeling for a while now.
This team is not ready to win because they are simply not used to it. As talented as this team is they are lacking experience in dealing with success and the 2 biggest aspects that make a football team successful.
Head Coach and Quarterback.
Mark Sanchez is clearly in a slump and it has been made clear this season that the team will go as far as he can take them. That's a lot to put on a 24 year old kid. That's right people. HE'S A KID! People (myself included) tend to forget the fact that Sanchez has played a grand total of 30 professional games, including postseason. This kid is still learning how to play QB in this league while trying to lead a beaten franchise out of mediocrity in the biggest media market in the world. Nobody remembers that when he plays well but then the amnesia goes away when he has a stinker like last night.
You can't have it both ways.
You either hate Sanchez and call him overrated (you know who you are) for his mistakes or you embrace the fact that the kid has a lot of work to do and give him enough time to grow into the QB we all know he can be. Mark Sanchez is going to be a terrific QB for this team. If I have to explain why then you haven't been watching at all this season. I know you don't want to hear this but when it comes to Sanchez we need to show a lot more patience. Always keep in mind that this team is making a run for the ring with a child at the most important position for the franchise. Look at it this way. What were you doing in your life when you were 24 years old. Reflect on that then think about what Sanchez has to go through every day playing QB for the New York Jets. He's only in year 2 people. If he's playing like this in year 4 or 5 then you can hate on him all you want. He deserves it. Until then, give the kid a break.
I now move on to our Head Coach. I know he's getting killed in the press and by the fans and you know what, he deserves the heat. This unfortunately has happened too often with Rex's mouth writing a check that his team couldn't cash. I understand that fans and some of the media are pissed a Rex for picking a fight with the NFL's greatest Head Coach. Conventional wisdom would dictate that it just isn't the smart thing to do. Of course now the monday morning quarterback reaction from fans is that Rex needs to just shut up and coach this team. Makes sense for the most part but I have to use the same argument with Rex that I used with Sanchez.
You can't have it both ways.
When Mangini was fired and Rex stepped up to the podium and said these words.
"The Jets are comin and we're gonna give you everything you got and I think it's gonna be more than you can handle."
And
"You take a swipe at one of ours, we'll take a swipe at two of yours."
We ALL ate that shit up and loved every minute of it. Why? Because for once this team had a coach that expressed a passion and a desire to make this team relevant again. This guy is a believer in his system and his players. This is a guy that shoots from the hip and makes no apologies for what happens. That press conference instantly began the change of culture for this franchise. Then last season when the team began to show signs of his attitude and philosophy, capped off with a magical playoff run, we all bought in and was ready for 2010.
The problem with this is that Ryan's early success last year and this season has hid some serious deficiencies that the team has yet to correct. It also gave Rex more freedom to run his mouth. Not that he wouldn't have anyway but you know what I mean. Which leads me to my point. When the team is winning and the offense is scoring and the defense is dominating, we all love the tough smack talk. Then when the team is playing like shit everyone starts to panic and fall off the bandwagon. There's no question that Ryan's tough talk isn't standard practice in the NFL but keep this in mind. Yes he talks a TON of shit about his team and his players but he takes responsibility for his words. When he fails he takes all of the blame as he should. This is a quality to respect and reject but this is the way Rex Ryan is wired. You have to take the good with the bad.
What's most interesting about the bad aspect of his personality is that it's rooted from an undying devotion and belief in his players. The man has an unquestionable faith in his roster and that for me is something that I want my Head Coach to have. That being said, it doesn't change the fact that Rex has a LOT to learn when it comes to complete in game coaching. He clearly exhibited his lack of experience on Monday night. He was lost from the 1st possession. This will change with more time under his belt. The problem is that he set such a high bar for himself and this team that when they underachieve it's looked at as failure rather than a learning experience.
The point to all of this is to help some of you guys from jumping off the ledge and pushing the panic button. There's no question that this team shit the bed in the biggest regular season game of their season and most likely their history to date. Does this mean that the season is over? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Does this team have a lot of work to do? HELL YEAH! But you can't lose sight of the fact that as Rex and Sanchez grow into their jobs, so is the team with this new idea of winning football. For years, the Jets have been synonymous with losing and mediocrity. You never knew what kind of season you were getting from this group and on the rare occasions the team was successful, some crazy shit would happen that flushed the season down the toilet.
Like the '86 collapse. Testeverde shredding his achilles on the 2nd play of the '99 season. Or more recently the collapse in 08 headlined by Text Favre and his 22 interceptions caused by his bullshit gimpy elbow. That stuff hasn't happened here since Rex's arrival. He has changed the atmosphere for the better. This team has a very bright future ahead of itself and they are moving forward. I realize that Monday night's game does very little to inspire confidence but remember. The Jets lost to Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. These are 2 men that have beaten EVERYBODY this year. Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Indy, San Diego. There is no shame in losing to the team that is equipped with the games greatest coach and greatest QB who also just happens to be playing unconscious football right now. The only shame here is the effort or lack of effort that the Jets put up.
That's on Rex and company.
As you do our best to recover from Monday's nightmare, keep in mind that the Jets are still in great position to get into the playoffs and get themselves right before they enter the tournament. We all saw what happened when the Jets backed in last year. After the Chargers game the word was out that this was a team you didn't want to see and all it takes is 1 good game to get the ball rolling and it's on. I know the knee jerk reaction is Same Old Jets but you can't go there. Those 3 words need to stay dead and buried. Embrace the growing and improving New York Jets. Stay on the bandwagon because when they develop into the juggernaut team that they have the potential to be, you will be glad you stuck around way back when when the shit hit the fan.
IT'S NOT OVER! The Jets are comin!
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