# Jets vs Lions -- Season Opener on MNF --- The Official Game Thread #

[Bruce Harper]

1 minute ago, LIJetsFan said:

Yeah dropping Mo is addition by subtraction on the whole.  He really suked last year.  

And sucked for Green Bay last night, FWIW.

[Bruce Harper]

4 minutes ago, varjet said:

I think this game is a good microcosm of the Jets’ 2018 season. 

Kirwan and the other guys on Moving the Chains both picked Detroit.  In addition to home field, the way they looked at it was that the Jets has the 25th ranked defense, THE DEFENSE WAS NOT REALLY IMPROVED this off season, the Lions finished the season  with the 10th best offense, and the rookie Darnold will not be able to keep up with the Lions.  

This is the whole point of most of the threads on this site.  We have Tremaine, Claiborne as a number 2, no more Wilk, and players reaching their peak.  The defense is supposed to be and needs to be much better.  If it is not, there is a bigger problem. 

Darnold will get there with some time, one way or the other.  I am watching the defense. 

There's a reason why Kirwan gave us some of our worst teams ever and made some of our worst draft picks.  These days, he just doesn't pay that much attention.  I also think he doesn't want the Jets to succeed, because he did not succeed with the Jets.  If you think the defense won't be better than last year you are not paying attention. 

[Stark]

52 minutes ago, JiF said:

I'm very excited and just wish I could hit fast forward on the day.

I haven't been this excited and nervous for a game since the AFC Championship games

[GATA]

Someone has a lot of energy last night. I don’t blame you since you were rubbing elbows with Nick

[varjet]

12 minutes ago, Bruce Harper said:

There's a reason why Kirwan gave us some of our worst teams ever and made some of our worst draft picks.  These days, he just doesn't pay that much attention.  I also think he doesn't want the Jets to succeed, because he did not succeed with the Jets.  If you think the defense won't be better than last year you are not paying attention. 

I think for the most part early season predictions are based on the prior season’s performance.   We are expecting the Jet defense to be better.  Let’s hope it is.  If it is, the Jets stand a chance in this game. 

[JustInFudge]

12 minutes ago, Stark said:

I haven't been this excited and nervous for a game since the AFC Championship games

Nervous?  Why?  We suck.  We're not winning anything this year.  No need to be nervous.  Just enjoy the beginning of the era.  Kid is not going to be perfect but I think we finally got our guy.

We just all need to realize we're riding the roller coaster ride of a rookie QB.  He's going to have good games, hopefully great games.  And then he's going to look like a rookie.  

 

[Legend Killa7]

8 minutes ago, JiF said:

Nervous?  Why?  We suck.  We're not winning anything this year.  No need to be nervous.  Just enjoy the beginning of the era.  Kid is not going to be perfect but I think we finally got our guy.

We just all need to realize we're riding the roller coaster ride of a rookie QB.  He's going to have good games, hopefully great games.  And then he's going to look like a rookie.  

 

I can't speak for him but I'll tell ya why I am nervous:  not for wins or losses, but for Darnold.  I'd rather lose tonight 49-42 and Sam has 6 TD passes than to win 7-3 because our defense has a pick 6 and Sam has a bad night.

I shouldn't say I'd rather them lose, but what I mean is to me, tonight/this season is more about Sam's progression than wins/losses.  Just go back 9 years to "The Sanchize's" debut.  Daily News back page dubbed him Namath's successor and we all know how that turned out!

[Lith]

Just now, Legend Killa7 said:

I can't speak for him but I'll tell ya why I am nervous:  not for wins or losses, but for Darnold.  I'd rather lose tonight 49-42 and Sam has 6 TD passes than to win 7-3 because our defense has a pick 6 and Sam has a bad night.

I shouldn't say I'd rather them lose, but what I mean is to me, tonight/this season is more about Sam's progression than wins/losses.  Just go back 9 years to "The Sanchize's" debut.  Daily News back page dubbed him Namath's successor and we all know how that turned out!

I know how you feel.  I was 7 years old back in Jan 69 when I watched the Jets beat the Colts in the Super Bowl.  Namath had one more healthy season and then the injuries started to slow him down and he was never the same again.  50 years later, I am hoping we finally found a worthy successor.  But every time I have felt this way in the past, something has happened and the chosen guy has never been able to get it done - Todd, Obrien, ODonnell, Vinny, Chad, Sanchez, etc.  Hopefully it is different this time, but I have to see it -- over an extended period of time, before I can fully believe it.

Sometimes I feel like Charlie Brown, just waiting for Lucy to pull the darn ball back again.

[section314]

Some times you feel like Charlie Brown??

[Maxman]

35 minutes ago, GATA said:

Someone has a lot of energy last night. I don’t blame you since you were rubbing elbows with Nick

@courtnj18 was hanging with Mangold. I'm hanging in Detroit with a lot of energy. Can't wait for kickoff 

[Stark]

28 minutes ago, JiF said:

Nervous?  Why?  We suck.  We're not winning anything this year.  No need to be nervous.  Just enjoy the beginning of the era.  Kid is not going to be perfect but I think we finally got our guy.

We just all need to realize we're riding the roller coaster ride of a rookie QB.  He's going to have good games, hopefully great games.  And then he's going to look like a rookie.  

 

i expect up and downs for sure. Nervous is mostly for Sam. We have no idea what idea what our Oline is going to look like. 

[Maxman]

You know who isn't feeling really good about the Detroit Lions right now? Everyone in Detroit.

They aren't sold on the head coach their scared about the offseason passing without improving the team and the team looking so bad in the preseason has them all really worried.

Spoke to a lot of fans who aren't that high on Stafford either.

[Beerfish]

The jets have a lot of issues but this game is very winnable.  Det looked very bad in pre season to me.  They do have a good QB.  It seems to me Marvin Jones has killed us over the years.  

I expect our offense to have some rough spots but i am more worried about the D.  If this is a good D we should be able to shut down det.

[Sarge4Tide]

Going to guess at the probably inactive players...

1. Jermaine Kearse, WR (Doubtful with injury)
2. Jordan Leggett, TE 
3. Ben Braden, OL
4. Foley Fatukasi, DL 
5. Josh Martin, LB (Out with injury)
6. Justin Burris, CB (Either Burris or Nickerson will likely be inactive)
7. Marcus Maye, S (Doubtful with injury)

[Legend Killa7]

10 minutes ago, Maxman said:

You know who isn't feeling really good about the Detroit Lions right now? Everyone in Detroit.

They aren't sold on the head coach their scared about the offseason passing without improving the team and the team looking so bad in the preseason has them all really worried.

Spoke to a lot of fans who aren't that high on Stafford either.

Hope you're right.  I guess their fans are like us:  expect the worst and hope for the best!  Other than this lil tidbit here, I have only seen optimism from our fans here on the forums.  Seems to me all the "experts" are picking the lions.  well straight up anyway - lots are taking the points, but still think Detroit wins.

[Lith]

14 minutes ago, Maxman said:

You know who isn't feeling really good about the Detroit Lions right now? Everyone in Detroit.

They aren't sold on the head coach their scared about the offseason passing without improving the team and the team looking so bad in the preseason has them all really worried.

Spoke to a lot of fans who aren't that high on Stafford either.

I was in Detroit the last time the Jets played the Lions there.  At the time (2010) their fanbase seemed completely beaten down by the Lions lack of success.  Jets came back from down 10 in the 4th quarter.  Lion fans started leaving while leading in the 4th quarter -- we are just going to blow it, don't need to stick around to see how we find a way to lose today.  After Jets tied it, OT was getting ready to start, and more Lion fans start filing out -- we never win games like this.  Sure enough, we won the game in OT.

Please save us Sam.  Don't let us become like Lion fans.

[joewilly12]

 

[The Crusher]

2 hours ago, Hitman Harris said:

Seriously doubt it. They already helping the cheaters 

Im not sure its as much about the Patriots as it is keeping the star QB's of the league viable. If Sam seems to be the young heir apparent he might get the treatment?

[Paradis]

59 minutes ago, Legend Killa7 said:

I can't speak for him but I'll tell ya why I am nervous:  not for wins or losses, but for Darnold.  I'd rather lose tonight 49-42 and Sam has 6 TD passes than to win 7-3 because our defense has a pick 6 and Sam has a bad night.

I shouldn't say I'd rather them lose, but what I mean is to me, tonight/this season is more about Sam's progression than wins/losses.  Just go back 9 years to "The Sanchize's" debut.  Daily News back page dubbed him Namath's successor and we all know how that turned out!

I don't know what you and the others are talking about..

Nervous? 

Scared? 

Darnold's the truth. If you've watched football for any real length of time, it's obvious - he's a franchise guy. The worst part is over.... the not-knowing phase... now, it's just crack a beer time, and watch this thing play out in 2018, and beyond. 

[Legend Killa7]

1 minute ago, Paradis said:

I don't know what you and the others are talking about..

Nervous? 

Scared? 

Darnold's the truth. If you've watched football for any real length of time, it's obvious - he's a franchise guy. The worst part is over.... the not-knowing phase... now, it's just crack a beer time, and watch this thing play out in 2018, and beyond. 

you must not be a JETS fan for 40+ years like myself!!  I don't think I have ever been that confident about one of my teams!  MAYBE in 1999...and what happens midway through the first game?  yup.

I really hope you are right, but I will stick with the Jets fans' mantra of: cautiously optimistic.

[The Crusher]

2 hours ago, JiF said:

I'm very excited and just wish I could hit fast forward on the day.

Me too.  Im leaving at 4 but I feel like Ive already been here 12 hours. I got Baby Crusher and bunch of his friends coming over and Mrs Crusher is doing a Sunday type spread. CANT WAIT!! Looking forward to game too!

[JustInFudge]

1 hour ago, Legend Killa7 said:

I can't speak for him but I'll tell ya why I am nervous:  not for wins or losses, but for Darnold.  I'd rather lose tonight 49-42 and Sam has 6 TD passes than to win 7-3 because our defense has a pick 6 and Sam has a bad night.

I shouldn't say I'd rather them lose, but what I mean is to me, tonight/this season is more about Sam's progression than wins/losses.  Just go back 9 years to "The Sanchize's" debut.  Daily News back page dubbed him Namath's successor and we all know how that turned out!

The only thing I fear with Darnold is this OL cant protect him.  Otherwise, I'm not worried.  Sanchez was a goober from day 1.  More worried about having "hot tan toned body for the ladies, you know suns out, guns out".  Darnold is all about business and I dont think success or a lack there of will rattle this dude. 

 

[LIJetsFan]

1 hour ago, Legend Killa7 said:

I can't speak for him but I'll tell ya why I am nervous:  not for wins or losses, but for Darnold.  I'd rather lose tonight 49-42 and Sam has 6 TD passes than to win 7-3 because our defense has a pick 6 and Sam has a bad night.

I shouldn't say I'd rather them lose, but what I mean is to me, tonight/this season is more about Sam's progression than wins/losses.  Just go back 9 years to "The Sanchize's" debut.  Daily News back page dubbed him Namath's successor and we all know how that turned out!

I'll take a win anyway I can get it.  Wins build both confidence and momentum.  I want Sam on the whole to have winning experience and not a well at least I played good experience.  It's a team game.  Sometimes the team bails you out and sometimes you bail the team out.  Just win!

Browns have a team of high talent players who IMHO have developed a losing mentality. I want none of that for us.    

[Legend Killa7]

20 minutes ago, LIJetsFan said:

I'll take a win anyway I can get it.  Wins build both confidence and momentum.  I want Sam on the whole to have winning experience and not a well at least I played good experience.  It's a team game.  Sometimes the team bails you out and sometimes you bail the team out.  Just win!

Browns have a team of high talent players who IMHO have developed a losing mentality. I want none of that for us.    

I get what you're saying, and that's why I followed up with the second paragraph.  But to me, this team is going nowhere this year.  hey - maybe I'm wrong?  but if not, the wins won't mean anything.  I think more along the lines of Peyton Manning in 1998:  3-13 turned into 13-3 one year later.  THAT is what I want!!

[Matt39]

1 hour ago, varjet said:

I think this game is a good microcosm of the Jets’ 2018 season. 

Kirwan and the other guys on Moving the Chains both picked Detroit.  In addition to home field, the way they looked at it was that the Jets has the 25th ranked defense, THE DEFENSE WAS NOT REALLY IMPROVED this off season, the Lions finished the season  with the 10th best offense, and the rookie Darnold will not be able to keep up with the Lions.  

This is the whole point of most of the threads on this site.  We have Tremaine, Claiborne as a number 2, no more Wilk, and players reaching their peak.  The defense is supposed to be and needs to be much better.  If it is not, there is a bigger problem. 

Darnold will get there with some time, one way or the other.  I am watching the defense. 

The wheels will come off the Bowles/Maccagan relationship this season. This game is a terrible matchup for the Jets secondary. Expect Stafford to go off.

[LIJetsFan]

I just don't get you wins don't mean anything guys.  Sure once we're eliminated I can "bare up" for more losses but that is the only time.  That is the only time I'd be hoping for Sam to have played a good game in a loss.  

[JetFaninMI]

Getting ready now to make the trip to the D. So psyched for this game. I don't expect much going in. I just want to see Darnold play and play well. I will be sitting in the lower end zone on the Brush St side. I will be looking for my fellow Jet Fans.

[BroadwayRay]

How can any longtime Jets fan not be nervous about tonight's game? We carry too much emotional baggage not to be. Our hopes have been crushed, chewed up and spit back in our face time and time again to the sound of vitriolic laughter. We've been teased by the short-live success of the Parcells teams, tortured by the nearly 20-year dominance of a HC who should have been ours and demeaned repeatedly by the evil red, white and blue hordes to the north.

But, hey, you know what? It's different this time. 

A friend of mine recently asked me if I feel the same why about Darnold as I did about Sanchez before his first game. Absolutely not, I told him. And I was telling the truth. When Sanchez arrived, I was hopeful, in pretty much the same way I was with every new Jet QB arrival. I saw things that made me hope he was the ONE. But I wasn't sure. There were flaws, doubts--things that made me think he could flop just as easily as he could succeed. As usual, the flaws won.

With Darnold, I am not at all hopeful. I am certain. I am absolutely sure that, barring injury, he is going to be a great quarterback. This is the first time I've ever felt that way about a Jets quarterback. I just see it. I see it in his eyes, his mannerisms and the way he plays. I see it like I've enviously seen it in other QBs on other teams over the years. The way I saw it in Rodgers in his first game, the way I saw it in Marino the first time I saw him, in Peyton Manning, in Baker Mayfield when I see him play and, believe or not, the way I saw it in Eli Manning his first season even though he threw up horrible stats. It's that gut feeling I'm sure all of you get sometimes when you watch sports.

I have no doubts about Darnold, and that's the way it will remain no matter what happens tonight.

[Integrity28]

1 hour ago, JiF said:

Nervous?  Why?  We suck.  We're not winning anything this year.  No need to be nervous.  Just enjoy the beginning of the era.  Kid is not going to be perfect but I think we finally got our guy.

We just all need to realize we're riding the roller coaster ride of a rookie QB.  He's going to have good games, hopefully great games.  And then he's going to look like a rookie.  

 

This.

[southtown24th]

I am in Positano, Italia right now.  Who has a nice, illegal feed for me to use that’s going to work well, stream well and work internationally? PLEASE ALL THE HELP IS WELCOMED.

[BroadwayRay]

6 minutes ago, southtown24th said:

I am in Positano, Italia right now.  Who has a nice, illegal feed for me to use that’s going to work well, stream well and work internationally? PLEASE ALL THE HELP IS WELCOMED.

Wow, you're in a really beautiful place. That town is a big tourist area, right? Maybe you can find a bar or restaurant with a satellite TV.

[southtown24th]

Just now, BroadwayRay said:

Wow, you're in a really beautiful place. That town is a big tourist area, right? Maybe you can find a bar with a satellite TV.

Not looking to jerk around at 1-2AM.  It’s touristy AF.  I just need the feed right now to watch it on my iPad.  

[Legend Killa7]

3 minutes ago, BroadwayRay said:

How can any long-time Jets fan not be nervous about tonight's game. We carry too much emotional baggage not to be. Our hopes have been crushed, chewed up and spit back in our face time and time again to the sound of vitriolic laughter. We've been teased by the short-live success of the Parcells teams, tortured by the nearly 20-year dominance of a HC who should have been ours and demeaned repeatedly by the evil red, white and blue hordes to the north.

But, hey, you know what? It's different this time. 

A friend of mine recently asked me if I feel the same why about Darnold as I did about Sanchez before his first game. Absolutely not, I told him. And I was telling the truth. When Sanchez arrived, I was hopeful, in pretty much the same way I was with every new Jet QB arrival. I saw things that made me hope he was the ONE. But I wasn't sure. There were flaws, doubts--things that made me think he could flop just as easily as he could succeed. As usual, the flaws won.

With Darnold, I am not at all hopeful. I am certain. I am absolutely sure that, barring injury, he is going to be a great quarterback. This is the first time I've ever felt that way about a Jets quarterback. I just see it. I see it in his eyes, his mannerisms and the way he plays. I see it like I've enviously seen it in other QBs on other teams over the years. The way I saw it in Rodgers in his first game, the way I saw it in Marino the first time I saw him, in Peyton Manning, in Baker Mayfield when I see him play and, believe or not, the way I saw it in Eli Manning his first season even though he threw up horrible stats. It's that gut feeling I'm sure all of you get sometimes when you watch sports.

I have no doubts about Darnold, and that's the way it will remain no matter what happens tonight.

I agree 99% with all you said (as a JETS fan I will never say the word "certain").  with Sanchez, I was hopeful, but all you heard from beat reporters, etc was yeah there is good, but boy is there bad too.

but now?  As a Jets fan I am so excited to see all good things written about this kid!  when do we EVER see that?  I mean I think the only negative thing I have seen is that he "can't throw downfield".  I personally think that was by design - there has never been an indication that was so.

[whodeawhodat]

9 minutes ago, southtown24th said:

I am in Positano, Italia right now.  Who has a nice, illegal feed for me to use that’s going to work well, stream well and work internationally? PLEASE ALL THE HELP IS WELCOMED.

friends of friends watched NFL games in Spain on Reddit.  I haven't the need so I cannot confirm.

[Joe W. Namath]

Its a must win.  No excuses.  The lions are terrible.  The jets should win this game.