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WHY JETS CYNICS NEED TO STAY AWAY RIGHT NOW


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Why the Jets cynics need to stay away right now

November 17, 2019 | 10:44pm | Updated

 

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MARK CANNIZZARO

 

 

LANDOVER, Md. — So what if the Redskins stink?

The Jets took care of business Sunday and — while it would be a big green lie to describe it as a work of art — they dispatched the Redskins 34-17 at FedEx Field with relative ease.

The Jets and their beleaguered fans should enjoy this win.

Today is a day for the cynics to stay away.

When you find a $100 bill lying on the street, you don’t ask why it was there; you pick it up, slip it in your pocket and revel in your good fortune.

Sunday’s result gave the 3-7 Jets a two-game winning streak for the first time since they beat the Broncos and Dolphins on Oct. 7 and 14 of last season. That was 20 games ago, and it kept Sam Darnold’s lukewarm playoffs-are-still-possible words from a week ago alive.

For the minute, anyway.

So what if the Jets’ opponent last week, the Giants, looked like the hapless Ray Handley Giants.

The Jets took care of business that day, too, and won one in a row before they made it two in a row on Sunday.

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“It’s going to feel even better if we can say back-to-back-to-back wins,’’ tight end Ryan Griffin, who caught five passes for 109 yards and a TD, said. “We’re going to get back to work on Wednesday and hopefully make it three in a row.’’

A team can play only the opponent on its schedule that day.

“Cynics are going to be cynics,’’ linebacker Brandon Copeland told The Post. “At the end of the day, you go out and play whomever you play. You can’t pick your opponent.’’

A phrase coach Adam Gase likes to say to his players is: “So what, now what?’’

Well, now the Jets have a chance to beat a more respectable, if formidable, team on Sunday at MetLife Stadium when they host the Raiders, a talented team that’s in the thick of the AFC West race and in the hunt for a playoff berth.

If the Jets can win that game, they’ll have culled together a three-game winning streak for the first time since Oct. 8 2017, when they beat the Browns after wins over the Jaguars and Dolphins.

That was 31 games ago, a coach and GM regime ago.

NFL players and coaches are always talking about “stacking’’ wins. It’s become one of the popular buzzwords in recent years. The Jets now have stacked two in a row.

Enlarge Image The Jets defense celebrates on Sunday.Getty Images

So what, now what?

“You look at the past two games, no disrespect to the teams we beat, but they’ve had losing records,’’ left tackle Kelvin Beachum said. “This is a team [the Raiders] that has a winning record, and they’re coming to our place next week.’’

So what, now what?

“Going out against the Raiders next week is going to be huge game,’’ Copeland said. “Obviously, they’re going to be very, very hungry team. We need to take the next step as a team and a culture and be just as hungry.’’

Or hungrier.

The Jets, in a sloppy 1-minute, 34-second stretch of the second quarter after they had taken a 13-0 lead, did their damnedest to out-Redskin the 1-9 Redskins with an interception by Darnold and a fumbled kickoff return by Vyncint Smith.

Those two gaffes led to just three Redskins points because, well, Redskins.

Before the two Jets turnovers, there was a holding penalty and a personal foul by Redskins guard Brandon Scherff on one play that negated a 67-yard Dwayne Haskins Jr. pass play and cost Washington 82 yards in field position.

Later in the first half, when it was still a game, there was Redskins running back Wendall Smallwood running a 3-yard route on third-and-4, leaving Washington to punt the ball away on fourth-and-1.

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That led to Darnold’s third of four touchdown passes on the day and a 20-3 Jets halftime lead.

So, if we’re being honest, the Jets had a lot of help on Sunday, but it was the kind of help they would been doling out to opponents earlier this season while they were building their 1-7 record.

How bad were (are) the Redskins?

Every Jets fan must wonder why the Jets weren’t lucky enough to have the Redskins on the schedule while Luke Falk was quarterbacking the team while Darnold waited for his mononucleosis symptoms to disappear.

That seems like a long time ago, though. The Jets are 3-3 since Darnold returned from mono. After the Raiders on Sunday, their schedule includes the woeful Bengals, the 2-8 Dolphins and the Ben Roethlisberger-less Steelers.

Win the games they should win and steal one two from teams that’ll be favored to beat them and a 7-9 finish isn’t completely out of the realm of possibility for the Jets.

And you know what that would be? Progress.

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2 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Calling Jets fans "cynical" would imply that there aren't any good reasons to be cynical.

64-90 this decade with 0 playoff appearances since 2010 would suggest those that are positive about the franchise and the direction its going are the ones in the wrong.  

We know the owners suck.  Meaning its up to Joe Douglas to turn the direction of the franchise around.  If he fails, we're relying on these sh*tty owners to make the next GM hire.  A lot rides on his shoulders.

Not to mention a team that hadn't scored a TD in 3 games scored two against us.  :)     But I digress, Im happy with the W, it appears to be progress in many ways.

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2 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Calling Jets fans "cynical" would imply that there aren't any good reasons to be cynical.

64-90 this decade with 0 playoff appearances since 2010 would suggest those that are positive about the franchise and the direction its going are the ones in the wrong.  

We know the owners suck.  Meaning its up to Joe Douglas to turn the direction of the franchise around.  If he fails, we're relying on these sh*tty owners to make the next GM hire.  A lot rides on his shoulders.

I’ll never understand the criticism of the fans that are skeptical and wait for a player/coach/GM to prove themselves first after our horrible history of ineptitude. You are allowed to root for your team and hold them to a higher standard at the same time.

It’s also fools gold to act like everything is perfect after 2 good weeks of football. We should all acknowledge that things look much better and there is hope but we can’t disregard the fact that the Midgets and Foreskins are TERRIBLE and our schedule is absolute cake for the rest of the year. 

There are some definite positives and concerns after these last 2 weeks. There is no reason not to win more games then lose over the remainder of the season against trash teams and we should all expect that at this point. Next year is when the fun begins. 

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20 minutes ago, Sarge4Tide said:

In before a long list of cynical JetNation posters reply to this topic

As you command:

I'd take the $100 referenced by the writer over the 3rd win of a 3-7 campaign.  

I can spend that $100.  I can't spend a win over the worst team in the NFL en route to our inevitable 5 win season.

I enjoyed the win.  It changes.....let me think.....nothing.  Not one opinion I had before the win was changed by the win.  Unlike our resident hyperbolic flip-flopper contingent.

/end requested cynicism.

In truth I'm glad we won just so I can hold it over my local Skins Fans.  The win did win me a free lunch (pending) from a co-worker.  Delicious Lomo Saltado inbound!  Thanks Coach Gase!

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35 minutes ago, Warfish said:

I enjoyed the win.  It changes.....let me think.....nothing.  Not one opinion I had before the win was changed by the win.  Unlike our resident hyperbolic flip-flopper contingent.

more or less this.

this whole circle jerk/chest pounding about being better than 2 out of the worst 4 teams in the league... weird.

fun fact. Rivers and Jimm G and Goff have as many INTs as Sam ...  but have playted 3 fewer games.

Baker has 12

Jiveass has 18 (EWWWWW!!!!)

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