With the New York Jets residing in the same division as the New England Patriots, everyone associated with Gang Green - players, coaches, ownership, and fans - are probably realistic about divisional title chances. There are none.
So, then, the Jets' only hope, as usual, is to capture a wild card, as unlikely a scenario as that even seems, given their apparently broadening flaws. They'll have to check the other AFC divisions for that opportunity. Here's a look at the competition they'll face this year in the AFC South, in which the Houston Texans can practically toss the shoulder pads on the field and earn their first really advantageous playoff position.
What can one say about the AFC South? Well, if you're a Jet fan, you'll wonder why your team can't be transferred there. Other than the Houston Texans, there's not much to concern opponents. And that's at least part of the reason the Texans should have an excellent seed in this year's playoffs. They should have a 5-1 record in division games, and if they win six of the remaining ten, they're an 11-5 juggernaut at season's end. Because they are so talented, though, they could even be better than that. They were a defensive force last year, and managed to claim a playoff berth even without Matt Schaub, one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. He's back, so consider the possibilities with him at the helm, and that defense cranked to the highest gear. There are many predicting Super Bowl for this group.
The New York Daily News published power rankings last week, and other than the stark position of the fading Jets at 25th best in a league that features 32 teams, there is some interesting information buried there. For one, the rest of the AFC North stinks. The Tennessee Titans are the best of the lot at 15th, and they've unseated Matt Hasselbeck in favor of Jake Locker at quarterback. The Indianapolis Colts introduce Andrew Luck to the NFL, but without much of a team to support him. They're 29th. The Jaguars are worse at 30th.
So there's some good news for the Jets. Almost certainly, no wild card will emerge from this sorry division.
Glenn Vallach has been a football fan for most of his lifetime, but never played organized pigskin unless you consider the thousands of youth hours running slant routes on city streets with a friend serving as Joe Willie. Don Maynard was his idol, an adulation he took seriously, complete with a number 13 stitched to his sweatshirt. He remains a New York Jet fan through so much disappointment and embarrassment over the years. Coach Rex Ryan has rekindled a dormant fire, but sometimes he feels as if he doesn't understand the likely end result of all his efforts. It has been 42 years, after all.
Sources:
- Yahoo! Sports New York Jets page
- Yahoo! Sports Houston Texans page
- Yahoo! Sports Matt Schaub page
- Yahoo! Sports Andrew Luck page
- Hank Gola, New York Daily News, NFL power rankings: Defending champion NY Giants start out on top; Peyton Manning makes Broncos Super Bowl contenders, NY Jets open at No. 25 as offense led by Mark Sanchez will struggle to put points on the board
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