New York Jets: Players using experts as bulletin board material
The New York Jets have used the negative predictions as bulletin board material in 2017.
No players or teams ever want to feel disrespected. Whether it’s a group of experienced veterans or young rookies, they want to be treated like they belong. Anything negative gets put up on the bulletin board as motivation. For the New York Jets, there was no shortage of negative predictions during the offseason.
I’ll admit it, even my prediction was not kind at 3-13. Many of the predictions were lower than that and some were 0-16. One had the roster as the worst in football over the last decade. Nobody had the Jets even being relevant in 2017, much less winning any games.
Well, through one quarter of the season the Jets have had the last laugh. They enter week five on a two-game winning streak, sitting at 2-2 and one game behind in the AFC East standings. The expert opinions are one of the motivations the Jets have used. Take a look at this note that everyone got in their lockers this week:
When every #Jets player walked in the locker room this morning, they found this note on their stool. The story: https://t.co/Vzh3B7Kzv2 pic.twitter.com/WYFWJAMitb
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) October 5, 2017
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For anyone who couldn’t read the black writing it says,
"Don’t forget what they stated about us. Never be content – never. Get juiced."
I don’t think they meant get on the steroids. Sorry, a little word humor. The point is that the naysayers became a theme for 2017. They became a way for the team to rally together and for each other.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins got the message:
"“I posted mine up. I mean, I’m not forgetting. [The preseason 0-16 talk] is disrespectful to everybody in the locker room. I’m not forgetting that. They didn’t think we were good enough to win one game, so they definitely don’t think we’re good enough to win three games. We take that [expletive] to heart.”"
Kony Ealy felt the same way:
"“I was one of the people who came into this season hearing 0-16,” the defensive end told Hughes. “I was disgusted by it. For you to make bold predictions like that, about any professional team? It’s bad on you."
As you can see, Ealy was not happy.
Next: Three keys to victory over the Browns
Nor should he be. None of these guys should be happy with those types of predictions. I understand that it is a young team, but it is disrespectful to call them out that badly on a national scale. They hadn’t even taken the field yet. We are all guilty, including myself. Sometimes, things like that inspire teams to do beyond their means. We shall see how it ends up for the Jets.