(Neil Miller/Sportsday Wire)
ORCHARD PARK, NY – Today, the Jets became Gilda Ratner. They are Garrett Morris and Loraine Newman.
Gang Green is the Samurai Deli, the Metric Alphabet, and the Greek Restaurant.
They are the Not Ready for Prime Time Players.
But unlike the original cast of Saturday Night Live, who really were ready for the big leagues, the Jets have blown a golden opportunity to become the story in New York.
“All you can ask for in this game is an opportunity,” said quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who reverted back to the player Buffalo grew to hate. “As poorly as we played in the first quarter, we picked it up and had an opportunity to win the game.”
For the first time since the Bill Clinton administration, the Jets could have owned New York. They could have taken their cue from the Mets and be locked into the minds of New Yorkers. Tomorrow, the Giants will probably part ways with Tom Coughlin and then they would be put to bed.
It would be all Jets, facing very beatable teams. The Bengals, Broncos, and Texans all have quarterback issues, while the Patriots seem to be mailing in games these days.
However they blew it.
All the Jets had to do was win today in Buffalo. Take the game against Rex Ryan’s team, who was already eliminated from the playoffs. .
Simple and easy. Right?
Nope. Ryan had the last laugh, 22-17 with Fitzpatrick throwing three interceptions in the fourth quarter.
Not Ready For Prime Time.
Somewhere Deion Sanders is nodding in agreement.
”I thought we were battle tested and we were comfortable in situations like this,” said wide receiver Brandon Marshall. “You had to push through at the end and we didn’t get the job done.
“I’m a little numb right now and have no emotion.”
Look it will be a month until pitchers and catchers report and the Knicks and Nets are mediocre to horrible. And frankly hockey is still a niche sport, so the Jets were it. They would have had the back cover every day. They would have built new fans and converted some old ones.
The Jets would have made their mark on the city.
After the decision on Coughlin in the next few days, the Giants would be done with periodic updates until a coach is hired.
The Jets would have been still playing.
In the end, that’s the worst part about this. Gang Green had it in their hand. One good throw from Fitzpatrick and we may be still talking about the Jets.
But it didn’t happen.
They Jets proved once again they are the little brother; the afterthought of football; the tenant in the Meadowlands.
They are Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase. They are the Landshark and the Bees. They are the Blues Brothers before the movie.
A record of 10-6 won’t be good enough. It’s wait until next year.
The Jets are clearly The Not Ready for Prime Time Players.
About the Author
