For all of the smiley-face emojis utilized to the protection of the Jets loss to the Steelers, you began to suppose they need to be pasted on the perimeters of the helmets the best way they used to do this with buckeyes when Justin Fields and Garrett Wilson had been lighting issues up at Ohio State.
Had been there positives, even with a house recreation the Jets ought to have received? There have been, beginning with Fields, who gave Jets followers as a lot as they may have hoped for in his first begin, even when it wasn’t sufficient in the long run.
Nonetheless: You realize what this recreation actually was, even with a brand new coach and a brand new quarterback and a model new outlook? It was like so many video games the Jets misplaced final season, one after one other till they missed the playoffs once more. It was only a youthful quarterback not making the performs he wanted to make the best way the previous man now enjoying quarterback for the Steelers stored arising brief in shut video games a yr in the past. And it was a brand new — and improved? — protection not getting practically sufficient stops, even when it did power the 60-yard discipline purpose that received it for the Steelers.
You know the way many occasions final season the Jets gave up greater than the 34 factors they gave as much as Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers? Twice. As soon as towards final yr’s Steelers, when Russell Wilson — no matter occurred to him? — was QB1 in Pittsburgh. The opposite time was in Buffalo on the finish of December, when Josh Allen and the Payments rang them up for 40. That was it.
This isn’t in any strategy to counsel that we’re going to see the Similar Outdated Jets over the remainder of this season. It’s simply that final Sunday at MetLife form of was. A yr in the past, the Jets misplaced a franchise-record six video games during which they held a fourth-quarter lead. Of their 12 losses final yr, seven of them had been determined by six factors or much less. Beginning to sound acquainted? It didn’t matter whether or not it was good groups or dangerous groups they had been enjoying and even groups as mediocre because the Jets had been, the Jets nearly all the time gave the opposite crew a recreation, right here and overseas.
Then more often than not they might lose the best way they did on Sunday. As thrilling as final Sunday’s recreation was, as a lot promise as Fields confirmed, they did find yourself dropping the form of recreation they had been dropping when Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich was the HC of the NYJ. Possibly they may do one thing towards the Payments on Sunday, as they fight to not begin out 0-2 — with a highway recreation towards the Bucs after that — that can encourage the followers who stayed away from MetLife final Sunday, and let Steelers followers have the run of the place, come working again.
Hear: I would like Justin Fields to do properly the remainder of the best way, not merely go toe-to-toe with the previous man the best way he did within the opener. I like nearly all the pieces Aaron Glenn has stated and performed since getting the job, and that features exhibiting Rodgers the door. It’s not simply that the Jets wanted to maneuver on with any individual like Glenn. They completely wanted to maneuver on from Rodgers, even when they didn’t shut him up — it’s simpler turning into a Navy SEAL than doing that — once they had a golden alternative final Sunday.
Now they should present that issues are completely different versus simply saying they’re. Can they beat the Payments at dwelling this coming Sunday? They’ve performed it two of the final three years. Might they go right down to Tampa towards one other previous good friend, Todd Bowles, and get a recreation off a legit Tremendous Bowl contender from the NFC just like the Bucs? Why not?
However what they’ll’t do, this early into the brand new period of fine emotions, is be 0-3 once they get the Miami Popsicles on the finish of the month.
“I want to move in silence, man, and just go about our business to go win some games,” Glenn stated again in March, and good for him.
Did Glenn’s crew have some dangerous luck on Sunday? It did, particularly when D.Okay. Metcalf was virtually Franco Harris-ing them after amassing that bobbled go on the Steelers final drive. Xavier Gipson’s fumble on that kickoff return was a crusher, with out query. And, let’s face it, Glenn himself did them no favors by going for a two-point conversion — within the first quarter — when a penalty moved the ball to the 1-yard line.
The Jets didn’t get the 2 factors, and ended up chasing the purpose they handed up all the best way till they misplaced by two when Chris Boswell kicked one 60 yards that had sufficient size to be 70. Earlier than lengthy the Jets positive had been transferring in silence. Towards the locker room, at 0-1.
The Jets had an opportunity to shut out this recreation. They didn’t, the best way they didn’t shut out video games in what was such a large number of a 2024-25 season for them, one which finally price them a normal supervisor, two coaches, and Rodgers, whose handpicked offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, did so properly he’s now a defensive analyst with the Packers.
In fact it was only one loss, the best way it was only one loss for the Giants towards the Commanders, although this season regarded rather a lot like final season for the Giants, too. However the Jets didn’t begin over with a tricky and admirable and expert previous Jet like Aaron Glenn, to easily grade themselves towards the curve. Glenn has loftier ambitions than that. So do his gamers.
What the Jets must do greater than the rest is present up towards the Payments, possibly one of the best crew on the earth. In the event that they’re going to get loud, and make MetLife loud, what higher opponent ¯ and what higher second — than this?
