New York Jets fans know pain. They understand loss, as fans of Gang Green, it’s encoded in their DNA. They understand long-term suffering; so much so, they’ve been accused of being sadomasochists. Any long time Jets fan remembers the painful days of Rich Kotite, Bruce Coslet and Joe “Must Go” Walton. The dismal memory of the 1995 3-13 season is only surpassed by the woeful 1-15 record of the 1996 season. They remember the Miami Dolphins “Killer B’s” defense. They remember the muddy, rained on all week field, ‘83 AFC championship loss at the Orange Bowl. Jet fans this is disappointment, disappointment meet Jet’s fans. While the Jets have enjoyed pockets of success since the 69’ Super Bowl, the culture of losing really didn’t change until owner Woody Johnson took over in the year 2000. And things really took off after the hire of current head coach Rex Ryan.
The first change you notice with the Jet organization is one of attitude. “Play Like a Jet” has real meaning at the Atlantic Health Center. Pride and integrity has found a home in the Green and White. As an owner, Woody Johnson has been a real blessing for the fans. The team went to the playoffs five times in the first ten years he’s owned the team. All of his coaches Al Grohl, Herm Edwards, Eric Mangini, and Rex Ryan have been winners. Only Grohl didn’t take the team to the playoffs, but he was a one and done coach, leaving to coach the University of Virginia at the end of this first season. Former General Manager Terry Bradway, and since 2006, current GM Mike Tannenbaum, have had successful drafts year after year. Picks like Chad Pennington, Shaun Ellis, Dustin Keller, Mark Sanchez, and Leon Washington have all been positive contributions, not to mention free agent acquisitions like Calvin Pace, Santonio Holmes, and Bart Scott. A top rate organization, with top rate facilities, a new stadium, excellent staff, and the players to match, Jet fans should be very happy about the long-term future of the organization.
So today, the New York Jets football team can signal a real changing of the guard with a win against the New England Patriots. The Jets have won and lost games against the Pats during the Rex Ryan era, however the Pats are still considered the big boys of the AFC East. Despite being 2-0 at the Meadowlands during the Ryan regime, despite defeating the Patriots in Foxboro during the 2010 playoffs, the Tom Brady, Bill Belichick led Patriots still hold an air of superiority over the Jets in the hearts and minds of fans and commentators. The Patriots have been successful for a decade, and are Super Bowl contenders every single year. They personify winning, the New York Yankees of the AFC East. So while the Jet wins are impressive, they are going against the best Coach on the sideline and one of the best QB’s in the game. A few wins are nice, but a change of culture requires consistency. It requires victories against the Patriots every season. It requires planting a seed of doubt where there was none. Doubt in the minds of Patriot nation, from the fans and the sports writers, to the organization – most importantly the players and coaches, and in particular Brady and Belichick.
A win today would put the football world on notice that the Pats can’t roll over the Jets twice a year anymore. A win today would clearly signal that change of culture within the AFC East, and most importantly, within the Jet organization. A win today puts the Jet’s in first place. A win today would mean old fans – new DNA.