There is no denying that the New York Jets fell short last year of what were some pretty lofty expectations. And with those same lofty expectations again circling Florham Park, the Jets are taking a different approach to the hype around this roster.
The Jets have brushed aside the bluster and bravado. Instead, they are locked in and seriously focused on not just talking about the postseason, but actually getting there.
Now, the disappointment from last year was quite understandable, given that the Jets were four plays into the season when they lost Aaron Rodgers to an Achilles injury. Make no mistake about it, most NFL teams would see their season shelved in such a case.
The fact that the Jets went a solid 7-10 last year without Rodgers points to a certain level of optimism around the young talent on the roster. If Rodgers can stay healthy, the Jets should be greatly improved.
“We’ve been through it. You know, last year the offseason with the hype machine and all that good stuff,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters on Wednesday.
“Where (as) this year is a little bit more – guys are locked in. It’s just a different feel. I can’t put my thumb on it to try to explain it in this press conference but it’s definitely a different feeling.”
Saleh said that Rodgers is a “vocal leader” on the Jets. The three-time MVP certainly has his own way of doing things, but there is no doubt that when he speaks, the locker room listens.
“I guess you’d be silly not to. I mean, the guy’s been one of the more accomplished players in the history of football,” Saleh said.
“If he has a nugget to give you and I was a young guy, I’d write that down in my notebook and I’d remember it for the rest of my life.”
