Wayward Jets

Watching the Houston Texans and the New York Jets play this past Monday night was a little disappointing. The last time that I saw the Jets play on a Monday night it was an entirely different experience. In 2010 the Jets were a much different team when the Minnesota Vikings visited. They were so much like their coach, Rex Ryan. They were cocky but they backed it up with a ferocious defense. Offense too. Minnesota hadn't yet become the disaster that they would be that season. But the signs were definitely there. Randy Moss had just returned for his brief, disruptive farewell visit and Brett Favre was beginning to show every bit of his advanced age. The Jets were monsters in the first half against the Vikings. Some second half magic from Favre, the last of his brilliant career, made the game much closer than it really was. That Jets team looked like one that would excel for a while. They don't look anything like that team now. The New York Jets are a mess. It's sad really. For a couple of years their rivalry with the New England Patriots was one of the best in the league. It's rivalries like the Jets-Patriots was for those years that make the NFL great. Now, the Patriots have to look outside their division for a team that infuriates them like Ryan and his team could.

Losing receiver Santonio Holmes and especially corner Darrelle Revis to injury took more from the Jets than their individual talents. It took away their swagger. Their edge. The Jets managed to keep the game with the Texans close. Losing only by a score of 23-17. A one possession game. Considering how the respective teams have played this year that's a huge step forward but the Jets kept the game close through pluck. They played like the little underdog giving it their all. They didn't play like a Ryan-led team going to war. I never thought that I'd think it but maybe playing Tim Tebow would bring back that Jets fight. That bite. The most fire that I saw from the Jets came from Tebow when he converted a fake punt. Mark Sanchez returned to the field and the team punted for real four plays later. Tebow's big play fizzled. I've never had faith in Tebow's passing but then I've never had much faith in Sanchez's passing either. I do have faith in tebow's passion. Maybe that's what the Jets need most right now.