The first two weeks of the season, the Jets just looked dominant, pounding the Texans and outlasting the Patriots — a blast of cool air that seemed to come from nowhere, alchemy conjured by a loud head coach and precocious rookie. Yesterday, outside of the first and the fourth quarters, they looked like the same old Jets. The difference is that this time, they still won.
For a team many expected to finish close to last in the AFC East, it was a little surprising to see the Jets being booed by the Meadowlands crowd after falling behind the Titans 17–14 yesterday. Coach Rex Ryan is clearly new here.
“When they went ahead of us, I couldn’t believe it,” Ryan said. “That usually doesn’t happen.”
But one botched Titans punt return later, everything had turned back around, and the Jets remain one of the seven undefeated teams in the NFL (and one of the two in town). Mark Sanchez probably had his worst game as a Jet, but he still looked comfortable and efficient, and his first-quarter touchdown run is destined to show up on highlight reels for years to come. It’s nice not having a quarterback so aged and fragile that he’s unwilling to take on a safety on the goal line. Not a good idea long-term, but for now, it gets everyone excited.
The Jets travel to the Superdome next week to face a fellow undefeated team, New Orleans — one of the best offenses in the NFL against one of the best defenses. It could go a long way toward determining whether the rest of the world joins Rex Ryan in being shocked when the Jets fall behind.