Okay. I’ve had a few days to process the insanity that was Monday night. I was at MetLife, and I can say I’ve never heard the stadium as quiet as when Rodgers went down, but I also have never heard it as loud as when Gibson returned that punt for a TD. And that brings me to how I feel about the whole thing.
First and foremost, Rodgers tearing his Achilles four plays into his Jets career is absolutely heartbreaking. So many what if’s, but at the end of the day, it’s a human being who potentially had their career end in devastating fashion. I know he said he plans on coming back, but until he plays another snap, that’s not guaranteed, and I feel for him. He seemed genuinely happy and like he had a new lease on life with the Jets. The coaches, players, and fans alike all adored him and what he represented for this franchise: hope. And that’s exactly how to describe the scene at MetLife for the first half after Rodgers went down: hopeless. The air was sucked out of the stadium, and it just felt surreal…
…and in the past, that would basically be the story for the rest of the game. The Jets would lay down and accept their fate. But no, not this team. This team, they’re different. The defense stood firm against one of the top offenses in the league. The team rallied around Zach Wilson, and Wilson stepped up big time. After an ugly interception in the first half, he regrouped, and focused on playing smart football, playing with a newfound confidence from him that we haven’t seen in a long time. Breece Hall started his Comeback Player of the Year bid in style. Garrett Wilson made a borderline inhuman TD catch. Jordan Whitehead made Josh Allen’s life a living hell. And somehow, with less than two minutes left, the Jets, without their lord and savior, had a lead…
…but then Josh Allen remembered who he is. He authored a quick drive down the field, and it was looking like they were gonna punch it in for the game winning touchdown. But the crowd, now suddenly awake, were also putting pressure on the Bills. The whole stadium was daring them to make a mistake, and they did. Offensive pass interference. Third and long. The Bills could only get back into field goal range. Their kicker lines up for the game tying field goal, and it doinks…in!!! We’re going to overtime. More adversity for a Jets team that already faced a whole season’s worth of it on their first drive. And the Bills won the coin toss. How? The Bills don’t win coin tosses in overtime. All they have to do now in march down the field and win a game that shouldn’t have even been this close to begin with. But the Jets defense remembered who THEY are, and forced a three and out. Now all the Jets have to do is get into field goal range and it’s over. Still, how much faith can we have in Zach Wilson to drive down the field. He looked much better in the second half, but that ugly interception in the first half still looms large. The only way to find out if he has a game winning drive in him is for the offense to get the ball back after a routine punt return…
…Xavier Gibson. A name that will be remembered by Jets fans forever. An undrafted free agent. The last player to make the Jets 53 man roster, barely surviving the last round of roster cuts. The ball touches his hands, he starts to move his legs, and out of nowhere, magic happens. He gets a block. He’s at the 40. 30. 20! 10! Gets another block! TOUCHDOWN!!! MetLife Stadium became unglued. The Jets did the unthinkable. They beat the juggernaut Bills without Aaron Rodgers…but the reality is, this would be unthinkable for Jets teams of the past. This team though, it’s built different. That’s my biggest takeaway from this game. Aaron Rodgers won’t play another snap for this team this year, but the impact he made is already undeniable. He helped bring on a culture change. Gave this young team a glimpse into what it takes to be successful in this league. Helped reignite the confidence in a young QB who had all but lost the team that drafted him. He gave the fans and players hope, and they responded with the number one trait in a winner: resilience. Is this a playoff team without Aaron Rodgers? Only time will tell. But this team is not gonna lay down and let their opponent stomp all over them. They’re gonna fight, and if their opponents aren’t ready for that fight, the Jets might just have a chance. If anything though, Monday night inspired something I had abandoned long ago as a Jets fan: hope.
Topic: 2023 NFL Thread v Mahomes is mortal and Collinsworth cannot deal (Read 24884 times)