Sometimes I get a little mad at myself for following the Jets a little too closely lately. I can’t help it, their hype machine is in overdrive and the excitement of wanting to beat them has definitely captivated me. So really I should be thanking Rex Ryan for igniting this fire of contempt. Not that it was much different with Mangini… though the Herm Edwards’ Jets were always fun to spank.
Anyhoozit, I realized today that when week 2 gets here we’re going to be looking at one of four scenarios:
1. Jets lose to Baltimore, Patriots lose to Bengals
This is an interesting scenario and probably the one that would be dubbed ‘most unlikely’. Both teams would need the win badly, so this scenario would probably produce the most intense game.
2. Jets beat Baltimore, Patriots lose to Bengals
This is the most intriguing scenario for me. The Jets would be riding sky high and the Patriots would be answering a lot of tough questions. The advantage the Patriots would have is that the Jets would run the risk of overconfidence, especially after a summer of hype, then beating what most consider a Super Bowl favorite in the Ravens. In some ways I feel like this scenario would be the most likely one for a Patriots win.
3. Jets lose to Baltimore, Patriots beat Bengals
Though I like this scenario, especially with the chance to put the Jets down to 0-2, you could expect the Jets to come out with guns blazing. An 0-2 start could kill their dynasty before it ever started. This would be an interesting test for the Jets, much more so than it would be for the Patriots. I think this is probably the most likely scenario.
4. Jets beat Baltimore, Patriots beat Bengals
This is what everyone wants, two teams both coming off victories over strong opponents. It would be similar to their week 2 2009 game, when the Pats got off to a good start but the Jets took control in the second half. Neither team would have their backs against the wall per se, but both should be confident. Homefield advantage might be the difference, but who doesn’t love two undefeated rivals knocking heads.
What do you think Patriots and Jets fans? Would you rather be facing your rival coming off a win or coming off a loss?