We’re trying not to post too many stories about the fortunes of the New York Jets, but when you combine the largest media market with a brash first-year head coach and the next Joe Namath and a sense of urgency to get better quickly thanks to a new stadium with plenty of unsold PSLs, it’s hard to look the other way.
So as the Jets prepare to play the Patriots, it’s noteworthy to mention that they’re treating the game to be played on the second Sunday of the regular season like the game that will be played on the first Sunday of February.
''We’re going to be playing this game like it’s the Super Bowl,” said defensive tackle Kris Jenkins on Monday, according to Dave Hutchinson of the Newark Star-Ledger.
“This is a statement year,” Jenkins added. “Not just for Rex. It’s a statement year for this team. We’re trying to set a precedent here of what is to come for this organization and that’s something we’re not taking lightly.’'
So get ready. Though the calendar says the Super Bowl will be played on February 7, the Jets think that it’s happening on September 20.
And if they can’t beat the Pats at home, it might be the closest the Jets will get to the real thing.