Jets, Fans Grounded by the Patriots

For New York Jets fans, the fairy tale has finally ended.

I'd love to sit here and be able to  say that I feel good about the Jets' surprise run. I wish I could hold my head high and be proud that the boys even made the playoffs at all, after most experts had them pegged to win no more than a handful of games. I wish I could tip my hat to Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and say, simply, graciously, "Well played."

But I can't.

I, like most Jets fans, thought Gang Green had a chance to pull off the upset. But I, also like most Jets fans, was ignoring the giant blue and silver elephant in the room:

The Patriots.

It was a nice feeling going into Sunday. Everyone in town was adorned in their Jets gear, and there was a rare sense of cheerfulness in the air.  This was going to be it—the Pats were finally going down. And what a story it would be: Mangini beats Belichick, the student becomes the teacher, yada yada yada.

Or maybe not.

Even with all that optimism, there was always a tiny shred of doubt. What started out as a faint tingling that I managed to ignore for most of the week finally exploded late in the third quarter on Sunday, when Chad Pennington's screen pass to Jericho Cotchery was knocked down and picked up by Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork.

That was it. Game over.

I had a bunch of friends over for the game, and you could physically feel the energy leave the room.

And you knew damned well it wasn't coming back.

New England went on to score a field goal after the recovery, followed by two easy touchdowns in the fourth quarter that served to remind everyone why Belichick and Brady have three Super bowl rings.

And, of course, why I have such a deep hatred for them.

Maybe this is how it is with Red Sox fans and Derek Jeter.

To their credit, the Jets kept it close in the first half. It was startling to see them up early, even if only by a field goal. Pennington looked sharp, and the Jets defense made some big plays—including a forced fumble by Dewayne Robertson and a big goal line stand that forced the Patriots to settle for a field goal.

However, the tone for the second half was set even before the first one ended. The Patriots drove 80 yards down to the Jets one yard line, only to stall on two consecutive runs. Another stand?  It would have been nice, but Brady managed to connect with tight end Daniel Graham for the touchdown. The score gave New England a 17-10 lead, and they were firmly in control for the rest of the game.

After a pair of field goals by Jets kicker Mike Nugent, the Patriots tightened the noose when Brady hit running back Kevin Faulk on a seven-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. The lever was finally pulled when New England cornerback Asante Samuel picked off a Pennington pass later in the period and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown.

Not the best place to hang around, those gallows.

All is not lost, though. There's hope in the fact that head coach Eric Mangini has the Jets heading in the right direction. There's hope in the fact that players and fans alike have bought into his philosophy, and that the Jets postgame press conferences are no longer filled with coaches ranting and raving that, "You play to win the game!"  

For all the dark clouds over the Meadowlands this morning, there's still a silver lining off on the horizon.

I just wish I had the eyes to see it.

I wish I could quell the gloomy feeling from yesterday's loss with thoughts of next year. I wish I could say, "At least we made the playoffs," and feel better knowing my team beat all the odds to make it as far as they did.

But I can't.

I got my hopes, and I got let down.

Oh well—so it goes for a diehard fan, I guess. And hey, it could be worse:

At least I wasn't rooting for the Giants.