Though the 2014 season hasn’t gone the way Rex Ryan and the Jets thought it would go during training camp, the Jets have a chance to end this season on a positive note. The Green and White play their final home game of the 2014 season against the AFC East champion New England Patriots this Sunday. Though the Jets are well out of playoff contention and the Patriots have already clinched a playoff spot, this game still holds a great deal of importance for both sides.
With a Patriot win Sunday, they’ll look to leapfrog the Broncos and secure first place in the AFC. This would give them home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and a first round bye. With a lot on the line for Belichick and the Patriots, Rex Ryan’s Jets would love nothing more than to play the spoiler. It’s no secret that Ryan is on the verge of being let go by Jets ownership after this season, which is all the more reason for him to try and take the Patriots down for potentially the last time.
After a hard fought battle against the Titans in Tennessee last week the Jets grabbed their first road win of the season, but Rex Ryan was already looking ahead to Week 15. Rex was quoted after the game saying “We’re going to fight every game. We’ll fight next week against New England.” Starting quarterback Geno Smith also stressed that the Jets aren’t planning on handing the Patriots another W on Sunday. “We’re all a close knit bunch” said Smith. “We’ll never back down from any battle. We believe in one another.”
As head coach of the Jets, Rex Ryan is 4-8 against the Patriots. This less than stellar record includes Gang Green’s heart breaking loss in Foxboro earlier this season. However, rivalry games like these go beyond the numbers and with a rivalry as intense as this one, there is no favorite to ein. Throw every stat, record, and trend out the window because come Sunday both teams, and especially the coaches, will put everything on the line to win. Rex’s “tough you-know-what… Real fans want to win” response to those questioning why the Jets haven’t tanked for the number one pick in the draft should say it all. Sure, the Jets aren’t fighting for a playoff spot, but this rivalry isn’t any less intense than it has been over the last five seasons. This game could very well be the end of the Ryan vs. Belichick era, amplifying the importance of this rivalry game. Eric Decker told members of the media, “You can feel the intensity. You can feel the fire within everyone–.”
Expect a run heavy attack from the Jets on Sunday as Gang Green will look to avoid all-pro cornerback Darrelle Revis, who was once Ryan’s crown jewel. To add to the drama coming up on Sunday, there was speculation this off season that Revis could have been a Jet in 2014 after getting cut by the Bucs. However, GM John Idzik let him walk, and since not investing in a timeshare on Revis Island this summer, the Jets have had one of the worst secondaries in the NFL this season. On top of that, Revis will now come to MetLife Stadium on Sunday through the opposing team’s tunnel. Rex Ryan was quoted earlier in the year talking about Revis in a Patriots uniform saying, “I’m a little sick to my stomach.” However, one of Rex Ryan’s best ever defensive players is currently closing in on 1,000 career total tackles. Linebacker David Harris is just two tackles shy of this landmark and there’s no better stage to achieve such a milestone than at home against your rival.
The Jets can steal a win on Sunday if they control the clock and leave Brady on the sidelines. When Brady does get on the field, the defensive line has to bring pressure or the secondary will be useless against the Brady/Gronkowski duo that’s been unstoppable as of late. Unfortunately, the Jets may again be without star defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, who has not played for several weeks with a nagging toe injury and was still limited in practice on Wednesday. On offense the Jets need to get back to smash mouth football and run virtually the same offense that they did against the Pats earlier this season in Foxboro when they ran the ball effectively setting up easy throws for Geno Smith. The previous meeting between the Jets and Pats was easily the best game Geno Smith has played all season and one of the Jets most impressive offensive showings this season. Also if the injured Percy Harvin can go on Sunday it would give the Jets an extra weapon on offense they didn’t have against New England the first time around.
If the Jets keep steady on offense using their percolating running game and show discipline in the secondary, they can certainly be competitive on Sunday. In football, as in any sport, there is no team more dangerous than a team with nothing to lose, and in a rivalry such as this, there is no favorite. These two points in combination with an electric home crowd and a hungry Rex Ryan make for an exciting final installment in the 2014 edition of this Jets and Patriots rivalry.
