Well, it’s not exactly Joe Namath. But the Jets aren’t exactly in the Super Bowl either.
Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson did his best to rally the troops and offer a glimpse into the future by offering the bold proclamation that the Jets would finish better than last year’s 5-11 record.
“The team will definitely be positive and do more things better than we did last year, I can guarantee that,” Wilkerson said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “We’ll have more wins than we did last year and that’s a fact.”
Namath was actually in the room at the charity golf event at the time Wilkerson was promising at least six wins, which put the statement in context. Namath’s guarantee of an upset over the Colts in Super Bowl III was one of the epic predictions in sports history.
And while the former quarterback had to appreciate Wilkerson’s style, he wasn’t prepared to join him.
“You have to earn respect and that’s by going out and winning some games, showing something, and getting some teams wary of you,” Namath said. “Right now, I don’t think there are many teams wary of the Jets. . . . Until they start playing well, who’s going to respect them?”
All it takes is delivering on a promise, however small, and they might begin to earn some notice.