When Robert Saleh made his way to the New York Jets, everyone in the organization expected a boost of vigor and moxie that would provide the Jets with the energy they needed. And when his tenure started, “All Gas No Breaks” was born.
What the Jets look like this year is what we all thought they would look like from the very start. But fans usually forget two things when their team rebuilds. One, cultures are incredibly abstract, and building them is an incredibly intricate process that requires more than just speeches. And two, “turning it around in one draft” is not as reliable of a phrase as many would like to think. Mekhi Becton is now in “bust” territory, and although Zach Wilson is talented, he couldn’t get everything he needed out of Elijah Moore alone.
But now Joe Douglas has a handful of drafts under his belt and his intelligence and understanding of personnel are all starting to show. Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, and Alijah Vera-Tucker all are now fleshing out to the best of their abilities and the 3-2 record of the Jets is the fruit of their labels.
Are the New York Jets “for real”? In this case, “for real” is making the playoffs.
The Jets have two essential wins in their back pocket thus far. The Browns are projected to be fighting for a wildcard spot until the last second and the Jets have a head-to-head win over them will be huge. New York also has an in-division victory over Miami by 23 points – even if the Dolphins win at home, it’s very unlikely they’ll blow out the Jets by more than 23 points.
So right now, the answer is yes. Whether or not it remains that way depends on if the defense continues its high-energy approach that’s been keeping the Jets in games, even the ones they’ve lost.
When focusing on who’s gonna be right by the Jets’ side when the Wildcard is being set in stone, there are five key matchups to look out for:
Week 7 @ Denver Broncos
Week 8 vs New England Patriots
Week 11 @ New England Patriots
Week 16 vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 18 @ Miami Dolphins
