Here Come The Warm Jets: Week 10 2008

The standard Jets fan reaction to the 47-3 decimation of the Rams was:

"What team are we watching right now?"

None of us could really believe it. The typical Jets team always blows a game like this, following up a promising win in a big game like last week's win in Buffalo with an uninspiring and dispiriting performance in a game they should win, at home against an inferior team like the Rams.

And it's not like we were crazy to think this Jets team wouldn't be different. It's the same team, after all, that struggled to beat Cincinnati and Kansas City, and actually lost to the crappy Raiders.

Not this day, though. This day, every phase of the game was working. They could run whenever they wanted to, Favre made a few throws when he had to, the defense was dominant, forcing tons of turnovers (Elam's strip sack leading to Pace's TD was really pretty - Elam faked dropping into coverage, then blitzed on the blind side, so Bulger never saw him). Heck, even Jay Feely was kicking long field goals like it weren't no thang.

So, yeah, that was nice. They took care of business in a game they were supposed to win, and looked really, really good doing it. Not perfect (Favre still made some throws that would have been intercepted by a good team) but really good.

Now, if this is going to be a real season, they have to go to New England on Thursday and win. Big matchup, against their biggest rival, with first place on the line. Real teams with real hopes win this game.

But, hey, I'll at least say this - it's nice to actually feel nervous about a Jets game this late in the year. To see one that actually matters after the weather turns cold.

This will be a real measure of progress. To see if this team really is starting to come together, the way it's looked the last two games. To see if Mangini is really a good coach or just an average one. To see if the whole Favre thing will actually pay off.

Given the history, we should expect the Jets to lose in a tantalizingly close yet annoying fashion, like throwing a pick in the end zone on first and goal at the 2 with less than a minute left and trailing by 3.

This is the same year that saw the Phillies win a World Series and a black man elected President. So, to combine some things, "Why Can't We Can?"