Last Night Felt More Like An Exorcism For The Jets Than A Football Game

John Angelillo. Shutterstock Images.

Being a Jets fan is a pretty miserable existence. It's like being in a terrible relationship. You know in your heart that they will let you down but whether it be a great vacation where you don't fight or the opening kickoff, you fool yourself into believing things will change. When they don't, you're even more mad at yourself because you always knew that these were unfixable issues all along.

It's only when you are in a great relationship do you realize how fucked things really were. You finally have perspective and aren't living day-to-day in the shit. I found out last night that this clarity wasn't just for broken relationships. The Jets finally have a good quarterback and I had forgotten how much fun that actually was. We aren't in the shit anymore. The hope and excitement Jets fans feel is no longer make believe. 

John Angelillo. Shutterstock Images.

Last night wasn't just a beatdown of a shitty New England Patriots team, it was an exorcism. The Pats didn't just live rent free in my head. It was mortgage free. They will forever own a piece of my soul for having to watch them annihilate and humiliate the Jets for two straight decades.

To be able to do the same thing to them on prime time TV with the whole country watching, even for just one night was spectacular.

The best part of that beatdown is that it won't be for just one night. The Patriots have a truly horrible offense. Jacoby Brissett doesn't make mistakes but also can't make worthwhile plays. Drake Maye hardly looked impressive when he came in late. But who knows if anyone could succeed with that offensive line? Pats fans are in for something Jets fans know very well: a long rebuild.

There were four or five times last night I said out loud "I don't remember the last time we had a quarterback who could make THAT throw!" Maybe it was Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015 but he wasn't this accurate. Brett Favre was really good the first 12 games of the 2008 season before he got hurt. I loved Chad Pennington and his 2002 season was incredible but even back then he didn't have great arm strength. You probably have to back to Vinny Testaverde in 1998 the last time the Jets had someone close to this good.

Maybe we are all fooling ourselves again. We have so much PTSD from watching people like Tim Boyle, Trevor Siemian (twice), Bryce Petty and Brook Bollinger attempt to play quarterback. Jets fans are beyond vulnerable. After 13 seasons of missing the playoffs, we want anything good. But if being a Jets fan is like being in a relationship, maybe we have met the perfect partner? 

Now, let's put a ring on it.