The New York Jets haven’t made the playoffs in 12 years, which is the longest active drought in the National Football League.
That being said, it’s fair to say that some could consider making the playoffs a success and a positive season.
Nonetheless, context matters, and this year’s context makes it seem like a playoff berth alone won’t be enough for this team, at least according to Stephen A. Smith.
In Friday’s edition of ESPN’s “First Take,” the iconic pundit explained why everything short of an appearance in the AFC Championship Game should be considered a failure.
Stephen A. pointed out the fact that the Jets flirted with a playoff berth last season with Zach Wilson at quarterback, so now that they’ve added a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, the floor and the ceiling of the team have gone way up.
Smith also reminded everyone that the last time Aaron Rodgers played with such an elite defense, he ended up hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy.
Moreover, he believes the only excuse or reason the Jets shouldn’t make it past the AFC Championship Game would be if they face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs at that stage.
As stacked as the AFC is right now, Smith believes the Jest should be on a different tier, and expects nothing but elite play from them from the very first snap of the season.
Whether they’ll be able to live up to that kind of pressure remains to be seen, but those are fair expectations.
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