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| Volume 53 Issue 6 | VOICE OF THE STUDENTS | December 11, 2002 |
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Jets Fight Turbulence; Begin Smooth Flight
by Robert Chiapuzzi The St. Louis Rams, who are the current NFC defending champions, started the season a dismal 0-5, have turned things around a bit, thanks to back-up quarterback Marc Bulger, who helped lead the team to 5 straight victories in the absence of starting QB Kurt Warner. Yet the Rams stand at a 5-6 record and wonder about their playoff hopes. The defending NFL Champion, the New England Patriots, entered a season powered by an explosive offense and decisive defense, yet faulty mistakes and questionable plays have left the Champs at a 6-5 record. The Chicago Bears, who last season, steamrolled their way to a 13-3 record and made the playoffs for the first time since 1994, now stand at a horrendous 3-8 record with no sign of relief in sight. The Buffalo Bills entered this season with high hopes put on the shoulders of then-newly acquired QB Drew Bledsoe, and The Bills started the season with an offensive explosion. But in contrast to the offense, the defense has lagged behind, and now that's catching up with them. A team who began the first few weeks of the season under the eyes of critics who counted them out of the season early, and said that they had no legitimate shot of making the playoffs, have turned it around with a new outlook on the season and a new style of play. The New York Jets, led by the young field general, Chad Pennington, have silenced the critics and entertained their fans with indescribable plays and a solid brand of hard-hitting football. Pennington punctuated the Jets' fourth straight victory on Nov. 24 with moves worthy of a Broadway dancer. Or, as teammate Sam Garnes said after a 31-13 rout of the Buffalo Bills, "Watch out, Michael Vick." Pennington took over the reins of quarterback from veteran Jet QB Vinny Testaverde in Week 4 and since then, the Jets have gone from a 1-2 record to 6-5. With five games left to play, the New York Jets have a good chance of winning the AFC East, and going on to the playoffs. New York Times Sports reporter Judy Battista interviewed a couple of Jets after the Nov.24th game. "It feels like a completely different team, not just a different season," defensive end John Abraham said. "In the beginning of the year, we didn't feel like ourselves. Now we're playing like we knew we could the whole time." The Jets are on their way to completing an arc of recovery from their horrendous playing beginning after Week 1, in which the Jets, who were victorious in Week 1, played so poorly that Coach Herman Edwards broke with tradition and did not give players the next day off. Now the Jets have become a dominant, nearly error-free team. "We were at the breaking point where our ship could have gone straight down," running back Curtis Martin said. "We stayed focused and it's taken us to another level of perseverance, another level of endurance, another level of fight. I think our heart, our skin, is a lot tougher." With a new image and style of play help leading the Jets to victory, it is up to the team to stay focused, endured, and strong, to lead them to the playoffs. |
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