During coaching camp, Jets normal supervisor Joe Douglas mentioned his aim was to play significant video games “down the stretch.”
“I feel like the energy that we’ve had since coming together in OTAs, how that’s progressed through OTAs, training camp, you see the progress,” Douglas mentioned in August. “We have to go out and prove it on Sundays.”
Now the calendar has flipped to December and the Jets have been one of many greatest surprises within the NFL 13 weeks into the season. More importantly, Gang Green is 7-4 and within the seventh seed within the AFC. That means the crew would qualify for the postseason if it began at this time.
How are the Jets dealing with their newfound success?
“Too much crap to do,” Jets coach Robert Saleh mentioned jokingly. “There’s numerous tape to look at, and once I’m not watching tape, I’ve acquired seven blessings and a wonderful spouse to cope with. There’s not sufficient time to take a look at belongings you don’t have management over.
“It doesn’t mean that when you’re sitting there you don’t take a peek to see what’s ahead, but you quickly got to, like I said, you acknowledge it, and you know it’s not like it’s an elephant in the room, it’s not like you’re not going to acknowledge it, but none of it matters at the end of the day. You got to quickly refocus back to what’s important, and what’s important is this moment.”
What’s forward for the Jets is 2 important highway video games that would finally decide their playoff destiny. Sunday, Gang Green will play the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Then the Jets will journey to Highmark Stadium to play the Bills.
The Green and White are only a sport forward of the Chargers for the ultimate wild card spot within the AFC. The Jets at the moment have a 60.7% probability of constructing the playoffs, in keeping with CBS Sports.
Obviously, these odds would plummet with losses to each the Vikings and the Bills.
The efficiency of Mike White, who will begin his second consecutive sport, may decide if the Jets make the playoffs for the primary time for the reason that 2010 season. White took over for Zach Wilson, who was benched final week after his atrocious efficiency towards the Patriots in Week 11, the place he accomplished solely 9 of twenty-two passes for 77 yards and no touchdowns.
As good because the White story is, the Jets don’t want him to develop into the following Kurt Warner to qualify for the postseason. They additionally don’t want him to finish 22 of 28 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns each week.
Gang Green wants White to be common and remove important errors, one thing Wilson has had hassle with throughout his 20 begins within the league. With the Jets’ younger protection, which is ranked fourth in yards allowed [308.8] and fifth in factors allowed [17.8], and their operating sport, White doesn’t really feel like he must play hero ball.
“It is crazy, but that’s the NFL,” White mentioned. “It’s me proper now, I’m certain a pair years down the highway, it’ll be another person and you may go to a different crew, it’s someone else and that’s simply the character of the game.
“Injuries happen, a lot of things happen and change so quick in this league, and you got to be ready, and you got to be prepared because when that time does come, you’ve got to be able to seize it and that’s how you can make a long career out of your journey here.”
The Jets and Bengals, additionally 7-4 and in sixth place within the convention, have the AFC’s hardest remaining schedule, as their remaining opponents have a 59.1 successful share.
The highway doesn’t get any simpler for the Jets following their consecutive journeys to Minneapolis and Buffalo, both. Gang Green can have its remaining two residence video games towards the Lions, who’re ranked eighth [362.9] in offense and the Jaguars on a brief week.
Then the Jets will finish the 12 months at Seattle and Miami. Players and coaches don’t need to look too far forward, however the Jets have a superb alternative to finish the longest playoff drought within the NFL. However, all of it begins with this upcoming highway journey for the Jets.
“To put ourselves in this situation to be playing games that matter this late in the season,” Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley mentioned. “To be enjoying for a spot within the playoffs and enjoying for all these issues.
“But once again, that’s the opportunity that we gave ourselves now. It’s still our job to really focus on each day and getting better and find the right things to work on to help our team improve and know when we get in these big games and playing against really good teams, try to go out there and be victorious and stick to our job and that’s execution and playing hard football.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com