Last night, Ross Tucker made a great point about the immediate future of the New York Jets.
Without cornerback Darrelle Revis, the team could fall apart.
Part of it comes from the fact that Revis can cover the opponent’s No. 1 wideout on his own, without safety help. There’s no other corner on the roster (or on many other rosters) who can do that.
But it also comes from the reaction to the loss of Revis. Coach Rex Ryan was as glum as we’ve ever seen him. And the players will sense -- and mimic -- that “woe is us” mindset.
Now, there’s a built-in excuse for playing poorly. Without Revis, the Jets are supposed to fail. And so they are more likely to fail.
There’s one way to avoid it. Cher needs to slap Rex in the face a couple times and tell him, “Snap out of it!” And Rex then needs to do that in the locker room.
Playing the part of Cher should be owner Woody Johnson, who can get everyone’s attention by making sure everyone knows that folks will be held accountable with or without Revis. Absent that kind of message, the Jets will assume 2012 is a throwaway season -- and their final record easily could make the team’s fans throw up.