It Is Time For The New York Jets To Step-Up And Take The AFC East From The New England Patriots
If it is truly the end of the New England Patriots dynasty in the AFC East, then it is time for a new one to begin in a division that hasn’t truly been contested for the past two decades.
If not the Patriots, then why not the New York Jets?
At some point, the Patriots run of dominance will end, and while this past weekend’s home loss to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Wild Card likely won’t see the best team of the past two decades slip into oblivion, it is clear that things are winding down in Foxboro. The Patriots likely can piece together one if not two more seasons of sustained excellence before things open up in the division.
A division which the Jets have won, coincidentally, just once this millennium.
So the time is fast approaching for the Jets and the rest of the AFC East to step up and wrestle away this crown from the Patriots. And the Jets are poised to be the team to do so.
That statement certainly defies a bit of logic given that the AFC East not only sent the Patriots to the playoffs but also the Buffalo Bills. Yet the Jets closed out the second half of the season on a high note, going 6-2 during that stretch to finish the year 7-9.
In a season where they were among the league leaders in games lost due to injury, it was an impressive late season run from New York. Factor in a team under a first-year head coach that is still very much in rebuilding mode and the Jets clearly have room to grow.
While next year’s schedule is not favorable, the Jets are still ideally at least one more season away from being a playoff team. By that time, conventional wisdom holds that the division will be wide open as the Patriots decline should be in full swing.
And while the Patriots have defied their supposed fall from the pinnacle of the division for years now, at some point, they will stumble. Saturday night’s loss to the Titans perhaps foreshadowing some real schisms and fractures in their foundation, especially as quarterback Tom Brady potentially heads into free agency this offseason.
If the Patriots Way is indeed to be pointing downward, then the Jets need to be ready to make a run at this thing. The time is now, before any other team in the division gets ready to supplant the Patriots at the slightest sign of a stumble.
The Jets figure to have over $70 million in space under the salary cap, enough to sign safety Jamal Adams to a long-term deal. That also gives them plenty of money to go after free agents on both sides of the line, a particular need for this Jets team. On the outskirts of New York City, they are a desirable market to play in. Factor in the presence of Madison Avenue alongside one of the best training facilities in the NFL and the Jets could and should be pressing fast-forward on their rebuild.
Sprinkle into this process the No. 11 pick where they can address further needs and the Jets suddenly are a team that might not be ready to contend in 2020 but won’t be far off.
After all, the Jets very nearly dethroned the Patriots in 2010, that playoff win in Foxboro showcasing a team that was built to beat New England and take the AFC East. But that ensuing offseason conspired against them and a comedy of errors in building the team led to a decline and no serious challenge to the Patriots within the division until this year.
The Jets have the cap space to build their team up. They also have a young core, including a franchise quarterback in Sam Darnold. With some pieces added this offseason and a productive draft, the Jets could finally be ready to wrestle the AFC East away from that team in New England.
If this thing is done right, it could be time for the decade of the Jets to begin.
