Ready, aim . . . Jets ready to fire
Perhaps it stems from the sour way their championship aspirations were left shredded, laying among the confetti on the Lucas Oil Stadium turf that late January night.
Maybe it's due to the almost non-stop publicity generated seemingly weekly with every sexy offseason acquisition, each move that kept leaving a championship-starved fan base intoxicated with anticipation. Conceivably, Darrelle Revis' lengthy, 36-day holdout could've contributed to the never-ending feeling, the one that has the Jets anxious to get this thing rolling against the Ravens on Monday night.
"The thing for the veterans that is so crazy, for all of us, it seems lie it's been a long preseason," right tackle Damien Woody said. "I don't know why. We are just ready to go. We've been analyzed from head-to-toe, all type of different ways. Now, we are ready to just go out here and let's play these games that count for real, and let's see what it looks like then."
The Jets' hype machine has been injected with turbo boosters, getting cranked up to a level that's uncommon for a team apparently tired of taking a back seat to the other NFL squad in town. They're the trendy pick to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, and the return of their All-Pro cornerback from his monthlong boycott is like pouring in a fuel additive into a tank already loaded with 93-octane.
There's a certain vibe around this organization that's unmistakable.
"It feels very similar to USC - in the locker room, outside the locker room, on the practice field," quarterback Mark Sanchez said. "The kind of players we have, I mean I can remember just dropping back and throwing a ball underneath to Damian Williams or kicking a swing out to Joe McKnight. And now I'm doing it to Santonio Holmes, LaDainian Tomlinson, and these guys are going and making plays for you.
"So it's important to remember that and remember that feeling, and know that there's expectations and pressure."
Those expectations arise from last season's end-of-season success coupled with all those offseason acquisitions. Besides bringing in a former Super Bowl MVP in Holmes and a future Hall of Famer in Tomlinson, the Jets added the active sacks leader in Jason Taylor, traded for Antonio Cromartie, drafted Kyle Wilson to cover the league's best slot receivers and increased the secondary's physicality factor with Brodney Pool's signing.
Cromartie can barely contain his enthusiasm, thinking he can thrive with his new team and return to his Pro Bowl form.
"Aw, man, my excitement is at 1,000 right now," Cromartie said. "I'm just going out and I'm just having fun every single day. This is something that I am definitely looking forward to, being a part of this Jet organization and going out on the field and playing like a Jet."
By bringing in the likes of Cromartie and addressing a few needs defensively, the Jets believe they've strengthened last year's top-ranked unit, giving them what they believe is more than enough talent to win the Super Bowl.
"Of course," linebacker Bart Scott said. "You look at what we've got and you look at what we improved on from last year falling short. Every year is different, but I think we've got just as a good of a chance as anybody, and a better chance than most."
As Sanchez mentioned, the Jets are stacked offensively. They should be one of the league's top offenses if they play up to their potential. The chances that lie ahead when Holmes returns from his four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy already has Jerricho Cotchery drooling with anticipation.
"All of the weapons that we've brought in, I'm just like any other fan," Cotchery said. "I'm excited as well, being able to see Santonio come here, Braylon came here last year, and just all the weapons that we have on offense. I'm excited to look at it."
Will all the Jets' talent translate into a championship, though? Are they truly ready for this run?
"Well, the great thing is we get to prove it," Rex Ryan said. "On Sept. 13, we get to prove it and I think I know exactly what the answer is going to be. We'll see what happens."
