Again in March, standing on the patio of a complicated lodge in Florida, Jets normal supervisor Joe Douglas set the baseline for the expectations for the 2022 season.
“We should be taking part in significant video games in December,” Douglas mentioned through the NFL conferences.
Douglas is true. This Jets season shall be outlined by whether or not this group may even be within the playoff race in December, international territory for the Jets since 2015. However earlier than we get to the Jets taking part in significant December video games, they should win video games in September.
Probably the most staggering items of the Jets’ current ineptitude is that they've misplaced 12 straight video games in September. Their final victory within the month was the season opener in 2018 in opposition to the Lions. You keep in mind that one, proper? Sam Darnold’s debut. The Jets smoked Detroit, 48-17, on a Monday evening and seemed as in the event that they have been on their manner earlier than falling aside for an additional 4-12 season.
The Jets have had two new head coaches since that sport, a brand new GM, six totally different beginning quarterbacks and extra personnel strikes than one can depend. There are simply two gamers nonetheless on the roster who performed in that sport — defensive deal with Nathan Shepherd and lengthy snapper Thomas Hennessy.
The month of September has been a horror present, and the losses have made the Jets’ season really feel over earlier than it even begins. It's laborious to beat an 0-3 begin, and that has been the Jets file in every of the previous three seasons.
That has to vary for head coach Robert Saleh’s crew this 12 months. This can be a younger group that wants a confidence booster early. These are usually not the Tom Brady Patriots, a group that all the time appeared to start out slowly, however which you knew would determine it out by November. The Chiefs or the Payments may begin slowly this 12 months and also you’d nonetheless be assured they'd win 12 video games.
The Jets?
If they begin 0-3, we’ll be speaking about the place they’ll be drafting in April and whether or not they can land star Alabama linebacker Will Anderson.
The schedule-makers didn't do the Jets any favors. The Ravens, Browns and Bengals are their September opponents. All three are playoff contenders. The Jets now most probably must play a few of these video games with out beginning quarterback Zach Wilson, including to the problem. The Ravens have been 8-3 final 12 months earlier than accidents and a bunch of shut losses ruined their season. The Browns, even with out Deshaun Watson, are a powerful group. The Bengals are the defending AFC champions and shall be in search of revenge in opposition to a Jets group that upset them final 12 months.
One of many largest challenges Saleh and Douglas face is erasing the dropping mentality from contained in the Jets. The group has been crushed down over the previous decade. Although gamers change, the dropping feeling has endured. A number of years in the past, one veteran participant informed me there was a sense of “Right here we go once more” as quickly because the group hit some adversity.
And these are the Jets. There shall be adversity.
The story of the previous few Septembers isn't just about dropping. It is usually about watching not one, however two quarterbacks drafted within the prime three lose their house openers, throwing chilly water on the hope they offered. Adam Gase’s Dolphins introduced Darnold again to earth in Week 2 of 2018, and Wilson was intercepted 4 instances by the Patriots in Week 2 final 12 months. There have been blowout losses to the 49ers and Colts in 2020 and to the Broncos final 12 months. There was Darnold’s 2019 bout of mono, which led to Luke Falk beginning video games. There was Baker Mayfield coming off the bench for the Browns on a Thursday evening in 2018 and Cleveland’s Myles Garrett breaking Trevor Siemian in half on a Monday evening the next season.
Nobody expects the 2022 Jets to get to the Tremendous Bowl, however the season can’t be over by Halloween, because it has been for the previous three years.
Finally, the 2022 Jets shall be judged by whether or not they're nonetheless within the race in December and taking part in these “significant” video games Douglas talked about this previous March. However there are just a few extra pages on the calendar to go earlier than we get there.
The Jets could make their December desires way more real looking with a September to recollect.
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