Here Come The Warm Jets: Week 11 2008

I had to wait a few days to write this game up, to let it all sink in. And to recover.

Because that game just about killed me.

Let's start with where it ends up - the Jets are 7-3, in sole possession of first place, and in strong control of their season's fate. If they go 4-2 over the next six games, they should make the playoffs.

The next six games aren't easy: at Tennessee, home vs Denver, at San Fransisco, home vs Buffalo, at Seattle (I will be attending this game), and then home vs Miami. Not easy, but you can find 4 wins in there, especially if the team keeps playing as well as it has for most of the last three games.

So, yeah, the win vs the Pats was huge.

Getting to that win? A freakin roller coaster.

First they come out looking completely unstoppable. Go back to what they did in week 2 against the Pats. The Jets got the ball first, drove down the field, stalled, and missed a FG.

This time, they come out on the first drive, and score a TD.

Also, in that week 2 game, after Patriots scores Gostkowski kicked everything into the end zone for touchbacks. This time, Leon gets to run a kick back for a TD, and the field position in general was better.

The defense never looked good in this game, but in that first part of the first half, they were holding the Pats to FGs.

The offensive line never looked better. Just about every time Thomas Jones ran the ball, he was four yards up the field before a Pats defender could touch him.

The score gets to 24-6, and it was tempting to think "statement game."

Then there was that little crack - the offense goes conservative, three-and-out, the defense goes conservative, the Pats go 68 yards in 1:29 and score a TD.

So now we're a little nervous.

Then Belichick vastly outcoaches Mangini in the second half. They come out in a no-huddle shotgun offense, and the defense has no answer. The offense is too conservative in the first half, trying to run the clock out, and they fail.

So the Pats tie it up. And that familiar sinking feeling returns, that mixture of naseau and shock at the realization that we're going to let the goddamn Pats come back after we had them dead.

But then, Brett Favre seems to earn his season's money, driving the team 67 yards in 7:06, scoring a TD to seemingly put the game away.

Then the defense continues its poor play on this day, and let the Pats drive for a TD, 62 yards in 1:03, with that crazily perfect pass from Cassel to Moss on the very last play to tie it.

At that point, you knew whoever won the coin toss was winning the game. Or, more likely, you just figured the Pats would win, because they always seem to in these types of games.

So, yeah, the Jets win the toss. Get the ball at the 20. And Favre promptly gets sacked for a 5 yard loss.

At that point, I thought the game was over. In all other Jets seasons, it would have been. Three-and-out, punt, Patriots drive for a FG, game over.

Lo and behold, Favre completes a pass on 3rd and 15 to Keller, and there is life.

Then a methodical drive down the field. And Feely actually makes the FG.

Like I said, the swings from up to down to up to down to up again just about killed me.

The best text I got all night was from my friend Greg's girlfriend, in the midst of the Pats comeback, who said:

"My boyfriend has become possessed."

The other one was one I sent to Kris:

"I will live twenty less years because of this team"