When WFAN took their morning show over to Jets camp, Joe Namath parked next to Boomer Esiason for a few minutes. Boomer, like most former Jets quarterbacks, conceded to Namath that putting on the Gang Green uniform is not just a job but also a crusade. For as long as Namath lives, or until the Jets finally win an NFL title, the starting QB toils in the monstrous shadow cast by No. 12.
So it is with the 2019 Jets.
None of the players, nor the head coach, were alive when Namath mesmerized the world by whipping the favored Colts in Super Bowl III. But as we stroll through the 50th anniversary of so many seminal moments from 1969 - Woodstock, man landing on the moon, the Amazin' Mets, and Broadway Joe - these Jets will be reminded of what those Jets did. It's somewhat fitting for a team that is supposed to shed the scabs of losing seasons and plow through toward playoff contention.
This is the year Sam Darnold is supposed to make a quantum leap as a passer and leader. Le'Veon Bell is supposed to bring not only massive yards but also share the winning ambiance from his time with the Steelers. Jamal Adams should continue his gallop to become the best safety in the league. And Adam Gase is charged with breathing fire into a team that took on the low-key cadence of Todd Bowles.
While Jets prosperity is good business beyond the Meadowlands, there's much to prove before we write the columns or sing the ballads that come with success. We love to remember the 50th anniversary, but forget it's been 50 years since the Jets even played in a Super Bowl. We forget the talent and torment, the sudden victories followed by those aching losses. The Mud Bowl, which turned A.J. Duhe into a star. The Gastineau Game, which cost the Jets a shot at a Super Bowl. Curtis Martin's fumble in Denver, the signature mistake in a 10-0 loss in the AFC title game. The two AFC title games under Rex Ryan. The loss in Buffalo that turned a charmed 11-5 season into a 10-6 debacle.
So how do you quantify culture? Does historic losing leave a toxic residue over the years?
A study from CBSSports.com in 2015 gave a power ranking of all 32 NFL teams since the merger. Based on Super Bowl wins, losses, division titles, Hall of Famers, and winning percentage, the Jets ranked 22nd. Four of the teams behind them (Panthers, Jaguars, Texans, and Buccaneers) haven't even been in the NFL the entire time, and had some of their stats prorated over 50 years just to qualify.
The article's synopsis of Gang Green: "The Jets have been close to useless since winning the Super Bowl in 1968, winning just two division championships since the 1970 merger."
Indeed, the Jets have 342 wins since 1970. The Steelers top the list, with 502 wins. The Steelers have had three head coaches since then; the Jets are on their 19th coach. Only the Cardinals, Lions, Buccaneers, and Browns (after they returned to the NFL in 1999) have a lower winning percentage. The Jets have had 11 seasons with double-digit wins, and 20 seasons with double-digit losses.
The GM, QB, and coach keep changing, yet the results are hauntingly similar.
But perhaps the elements for a revival are in place. This is the first time in some time that there is palpable, nationwide excitement to see the Jets play. Sam Darnold has the media and the masses dizzy with anticipation. Bell has saved some tread on his luxury tires, hasn't played a game since 2017, hasn't been injured, and seems to be in the best shape of his NFL life. Adam Gase is so giddy over Bell's potential he forbade him from playing in the preseason.
Playing with Jamal Adams on defense will be LB C.J. Mosley, a three-time Pro Bowler who finished second for Rookie of the Year after the 2014 season. (Mosley is also the only Ravens rookie to be voted to a Pro Bowl.) Many pundits think the Jets also bagged the best player in the NFL Draft, when they picked DT Quinnen Williams out of Alabama. Pro Football Focus pegged the Jets as having the most improved pass rush this year. PFF also ranked the Jets 3rd overall in run defense.
Bleacher Report ranked the most improved teams entering the 2019 NFL season, and the Jets are ranked No. 3, behind only the Browns and Packers. Sports Illustrated had the Jets as the 2nd-most improved club in the league.
If losing is a toxin, then winning is a tonic. Soon we will find out if the Jets have the potion for a revival.
Twitter: @JasonKeidel
