Same Old Jets?

Those of you who know me, know that I am a die-hard Jets fan. Though only 28, I have lived through a number of horrid seasons, players and coaches. I remember Ray Lucas, Glenn Foley, Rich Kotite and a promising season rupture with Testaverde's achilles heel. It is because of these reasons and more (damn you Doug Brien!) that after watching the Jets lose to the Packers I'm starting to get nervous.

The season started with a putrid 10-9 loss at home on MNF to the Ravens. It seemed as though the Jets preseason talk and bluster by Rex Ryan would amount to "...a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing". Thankfully that was not the case.

After the first game loss the Jets went on a five game winning streak, going 3-0 in division games in the process. They headed into the bye week on the top of the world, and admittedly, so did I. I live and die with this team, it is the reason why Panda (my dog) hides for the better part of Jets games. I stomp around the house hurling dog toys, throwing up obscenities and calculating what I can punch in my house that won't break my hand, leave a mark on the object, and/or break. However, the way they limped onto the field against the Packers has me worried.

Much like a pound dog you bring home may flinch when you raise your hand due to past abuse, so do Jets fans when they see their team lose in a particularly pathetic way. The fluke INTs (HOW CAN THAT BE AN INTERCEPTION WHEN THE RECEIVER IS DOWN!), stalled drives, poor play calling and more, have some Jets fans asking themselves "are these the same old Jets?".

I'd like to say I'm confident going into week 9. I'd like to say that I believe the Jets are going to come and and trash the Lions, thus restoring my faith in the team and this season. I'd like to say all that, but I can't. Every loss has me wondering when the next shoe will drop. I hope I'm wrong, I hope history does not repeat itself and I hope, most importantly, that these aren't the same old Jets.