With the New York Jets seemingly unable to take off despite several overhauls, we take a trip back into the Gridiron archive to revisit one of many beacons of hope…

It is a New York premiere which rightfully receives the big billing: the grand unveiling of the all-new Jets. There’s a new general manager and a new head coach, with a new philosophy to bring calm to a previously chaotic Gotham. There are exciting new rookies and new playmakers on offense and defense, but is there a new denouement to this sequel? Or will we watch another episode of the ‘Same Old Jets’?

A stream of green and white flows down the steps of Penn Station on 34th Street in Manhattan. They change at Secaucus and head on down to Meadowlands. Some of these fans have made this journey hundreds of times. Names on jerseys provide flashbacks of times gone by. There are nods of appreciation to heroes of the past: Namath, Klecko, Chrebet. There are throwbacks to aborted projects: Sanchez, Tebow. And there is support for the stars now leading the charge: Marshall, Decker, Revis. Some of these fans have cheered, cursed and lived through them all.

Wide-eyed youngsters arrive with a glow of anticipation, unscarred by the past. They play corn-hole in the tailgate party with grizzled veterans who have seen it all. There is optimism. Although as much as the confidence outwardly flows, peel back the surface and there is trepidation to be found. When you’re a Jet it comes with the territory.

“We’re proud of our team no matter what,” Thomas from Jersey tells Gridiron. “There have been tough times but we know that when we get it right, on our day, we can beat anybody. That doesn’t always happen but we know we have a chance against anyone.”

He’s not alone. Jerry has driven 30 hours from Colorado to be here, on opening day, against the Cleveland Browns. “We’ve got a good bunch of players on the team this year,” he says. “I’m certain it’s going to be better than last year.”

He believes. New Dawn. New Jets.

Gang Green certainly began this winter like a team ready for a fresh start. Having picked up arguably the hottest head coach on the market in Todd Bowles, a mouth-watering free-agency period then followed, featuring the return of favourite son Darrelle Revis from the arch-rival Patriots. And excitement peaked with the conclusion of the 2015 NFL Draft. The number six overall pick, Leonard Williams, set the pulses racing. An already-stacked defensive line was bolstered with a potential superstar who many considered to be the best individual player in the class. He unexpectedly fell into their arms.

The feared Jets defense boasts nine first-round picks, the most in the NFL, and it’s being talked about as one of the best. “We’ve got a talented defense. There was high expectations before the season for us,” explains former Browns cornerback Buster Skrine. “Those expectations mean we know how we need to play. We got better from the first pre-season game to the first game of the regular season, that’s what Coach Bowles has been teaching.”

The offense enjoyed a makeover too. A much-needed, experienced number-one receiver was added, five-time Pro Bowler Brandon Marshall snaffled in exchange for switching the Jets’ fifth-round pick for the Chicago Bears’ seventh. The haphazard 4-12 season which prompted the departure of the boisterous ringleader of the Jets media circus, Rex Ryan, suddenly seems an age ago.

“Coach Bowles is not about wasted energy. He’s not about wasted words,” reveals guard Willie Colon. “What he says is what he means and what he demands. He knows what he expects from us. He’s very black and white. He’s not about the ra-ra stuff. He’s played football; he knows the game; he knows what it looks like. He gives us the orders and we go out and play the game. We respect him to the utmost and we’re happy he’s our coach.”

New general manager Mike Maccagnan could do no wrong. He’d nabbed composed and innovative former Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Bowles, persuaded Revis Island to relocate and snaffled Williams. As training camp approached, everything was looking bright.

New Dawn. New Jets.

They say the day is darkest before the dawn; in Jets Land, the adage is flipped. These fans know that when brightness comes, it’s time to watch out.

“Things never go smoothly,” Jimmy from Queens, a Jets fan of 25 years, tells us. “When you’ve followed the Jets for as long as I have, and you’ve seen so many ups and downs, you never take anything for granted.”

The thump this time comes on Tuesday, August 11, the day the calm around Florham Park suddenly dissipates. The usually unflappable Bowles is forced to delay morning practice to hold an impromptu press conference. He reveals starting quarterback Geno Smith has had his jaw shattered in two places by team-mate IK Enemkpali’s fist. The linebacker is fired and Smith is sidelined for the first month of the season. Plans are torn up and re-drawn.

If that’s not enough, first-round pick Williams is no longer a luxury. Dominant defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson faces a four-game ban for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. The traditional Jets chaos does not subside for long. Jimmy adds: “You almost expect these kind of things to happen.”

Same Old Jets?

“We were all really pumped after the draft. It’s hard not to be when all the talk is about how well the Jets did,” says Tony from Red Hook. “It’s not like it’s all fallen apart but it would be nice to start the season without the controversy for a change.”

And so here we are, sitting with the hottest ticket in town, wondering whether we’re going to see an Academy Award-worthy picture, or another Rocky Horror Show.

Despite all the fresh characters in the first act, it is a familiar face who is the box-office smash on opening weekend. Gang Green fans pack out MetLife Stadium in anticipation of seeing their hero Revis. But while the home support have come to bask in the prodigal son’s return, it is a second coming they are gifted a glimpse of initially. A first-quarter concussion for starting Browns quarterback Josh McCown signals the introduction of Johnny Manziel. There’s concern among the home support when the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner starts showing flashes of the brilliance which landed him that prestigious college gong.
The former ‘Johnny Football’ is threatening to spoil the party, and it’s a celebration he wasn’t even invited to. His party days are meant to be behind him. There is an impressive scramble through a collapsing pocket before a flag writes off a 30-yard gain, and a sweet deep ball to Travis Benjamin for a 54-yard score. For a moment, which to Jets fans must seem like a nightmare waiting to unfold, Johnny Football is electrifying MetLife Stadium. Surely the 2015 season cannot start like this?

Same Old Jets?

While Jets supporters are perhaps shocked by their team’s ensuing comeback, their counterparts in orange sit back without even so much as a grimace. They’ve read this script before…too many times. A pair of strip-sacks show how raw their sophomore quarterback still is. The Browns are losing their 11th straight season opener, a current NFL record. There is scant sympathy coming from the home faithful, however. This is their day – and they are making themselves heard. The roar for Revis’ introduction had been more deafening than the fireworks and rockets which accompanied it. And yet, the decibel levels rise further. When Revis gathers a third-quarter Manziel fumble and runs it back 10 yards short of the house, the wall of sound is staggering. It’s a fitting reception for a prime-time player who, alongside the returning Antonio Cromartie and new arrival Skrine, has rejuvenated the Jets’ secondary.

“We want to just go and dominate as a defense, and I think that’s what we do,” says safety Calvin Prior following the 31-10 triumph. “We stopped Cleveland running the ball and made them one dimensional and so they had to pass the ball. We make them do things they don’t want to do and that creates turnovers.”

“There was a lot of energy out there,” adds receiver Marshall, after showing his killer instincts, making the play of the game with a takeaway immediately after Tashaun Gipson had intercepted a deep ball from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. “That’s something I didn’t think we had in pre-season. It’s not just offense, defense, special teams at times. We need that 12th man and they were there for us.”

“It’s a big advantage at home if you get the crowd into it early and make it tough for the opposing team,” reveals wide-out Eric Decker. “We had a big enough lead in the fourth quarter and it’s a good feeling to see the fans enjoying it. We played good team football and that’s what we expect at home.”

Whether it’s about dominating on defense, efficiency on offense, tactical nous from the head coach or being backed by a faithful following in the stands, there are early signs that this storyline could still be building towards a crescendo as we approach Oscars Season.

New Dawn? Yes. New Jets? That remains to be seen; after all, they were only up against The Same Old Browns.

This article originally appeared in Issue XVI of Gridiron magazine – for individual editions or subscriptions, click HERE