“Perseverance is not a long race. It is many short races one after another.” - Walter Elliott
It’s hard not to take anything but positives from the New York Jets’ 2009-10 season. You would be cynical not to. It was a club that started off 3-0, fell to 4-6, battled back to 7-7 and then won their final two games over playoff-bound Indianapolis and Cincinnati to grab the final Wild Card spot. After at least two games this season, players told me “we can’t lose anymore.” These comments came after depressing defeats. The Jets were near down and out, but in no way would they surrender. They never raised that white flag, even when the outlook looked bleak. When you talk about up-and-down seasons, this is the one you’d cite.
Just hours ago, this year’s campaign wrapped up, 14 points away from a trip to Miami for the Super Bowl. The Jets got there after pulling off an upset at Cincinnati in Round 1 and knocking off San Diego in an even bigger stunner last week. Heading into the locker room in Indianapolis Sunday afternoon, New York was up on the scoreboard and keeping pace with the Colts, arguably the NFL’s top team this season. The Colts were 14-0 when they last played the Jets on Dec. 27. They were 14-1 afterwards. But this was a different Colts team. The starters were in for the entire 60 minutes and there was actually something on the line for both teams.
In the third quarter, Peyton Manning started to pick apart New York’s top-ranked defense. He made a stellar Jets secondary struggle. Manning knew he was going to have trouble getting the ball into the hands of Reggie Wayne, who was being shadowed by Darrelle Reevis, so he went to Pierre Garcon. The second-year wideout collected 11 catches for 151 yards, including two touchdowns. The final: 17-30.
Perseverance will be how this Jets squad rebounds next season. Playing in the AFC Championship game and losing is like getting a New York strip steak because they ran out of filet mignon. You’re definitely satisfied, but know you were so close to getting something even better. A loss is a loss, but to make it this far was a blessing. It is experience for the resumes of these young Jets players, and rest assured, when they do return to the playoffs, they’ll be better because of these last three weeks.
If you’re a Jets fan, be proud. Don’t let this loss get you down. Instead, think about what’s in store for the future. I’ve only covered the Jets for two seasons now, but I strongly believe there is a very bright road ahead.
When you think about the future, you think about Mark Sanchez. The USC product had to learn Rex Ryan’s system in a matter of months as he was converted from star college quarterback to just another NFL arm. There’s no denying that he struggled this season. If we’re going to be completely honest, the less he threw, the better the Jets were. This was a different Sanchez we saw on Sunday, however. In the biggest game of his short career, he pulled off one of his best performances — 17-for-30, 257 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, which was not his fault. This was perhaps the most encouraging thing to witness out of today’s loss.
If Sanchez can improve on his stats next year and the Jets can keep their number-one rushing attack and defense intact, there’s a foundation as strong as a graphene. Shonn Greene, Leon Washington, Brad Smith, Dustin Keller, Jerricho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards are the future on offense. Mix them with the veterans — Thomas Jones, Tony Richardson — and it’s the perfect balance.
Defensively, New York has the potential to be good for a very long time, or for at least as long as Ryan is in charge. This unit is what kept them playing while 26 other teams had their players off on tropical vacations. Reevis, Jim Leonhard, David Harris, Kerry Rhodes, Bryan Thomas, Calvin Pace, Dwight Lowery, Bart Scott, Shaun Ellis, the list goes on. If you played one down of defense for the Jets this season, you deserve acknowledgment.
Let’s face it: Ryan hyped his team more than any other head coach in the NFL this season, or probably even in recent memory. It wasn’t done to be cocky, but because he believed. While the ultimate goal wasn’t accomplished, his players backed up his mouth. They didn’t do it to make Ryan look good, but because they were good.
This season may have been a long race, but it is actually a short piece to the long, positive future ahead.