The Super Bowl drought for the New York Jets continues.
They have not returned to the big game since Joe Namath pulled through his guarantee during Super Bowl III against the Baltimore Colts.
But that was in a distant era wherein the Jets were still part of the American Football League.
#NeverForget pic.twitter.com/PkJZ0GUZHs
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 12, 2021
The Jets did have playoff appearances in spurts and reached the AFC Championship four times.
Unfortunately, they cannot break the barrier and play in the big game.
Worse, it’s been 10 seasons since the Jets last made the playoffs.
Rex Ryan led the franchise to the 2010 conference title game but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Robert Saleh makes his head-coaching debut. How recent #Jets coaches fared in their first game:
Adam Gase: L
Todd Bowles: W
Rex Ryan: W
Eric Mangini: W
Herm Edwards: L
Al Groh: W
Bill Parcells: W
Rich Kotite: L— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) September 12, 2021
Since then, they’ve only had one winning season and two 8-8 records.
In 2020, the Jets lost 13 straight to open the season, making fans throw the white flag.
Die-hard followers would rather tank and lose all 16 games to get the first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
However, they won two straight and surrendered the top selection to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
While the Jets are in dire straits to become relevant again, they’re hoping that the dawn of a new era will turn the team’s fortunes around.
Zach Wilson Named Starting Quarterback
It’s like the Jets are starting with a clean slate.
Previous defensive coordinator Gregg Williams got the boot when he called for a controversial cover zero play that allowed Derek Carr to find Henry Ruggs for a walk-off touchdown.
Meanwhile, head coach Adam Gase and his pet project, quarterback Sam Darnold, are gone too.
Therefore, it was a no-brainer that the Jets would draft a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft, and it turned out to be BYU’s Zach Wilson.
Welcome to the show, @ZachWilson. pic.twitter.com/yHtbnS5teG
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 12, 2021
Wilson threw for 3,692 yards, 33 touchdowns, and three interceptions in his final year with the Cougars.
He also added 254 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
His accuracy and ability to generate velocity with the ball convinced New York to take him with the second overall selection.
Some draft experts argued that the Jets should select Justin Fields or Trey Lance.
But the team might be on to something when Wilson threw for 128 yards and two touchdowns in their preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.
Pretty sick that this many BYU fans are flying out to Carolina to support Zach Wilson and the Jets pic.twitter.com/BYtNLI5isp
— Fuego Jets Takes (@fuegojetstakes) September 12, 2021
He did not play in their final preseason game, but he did enough to win the starting role over Mike White, Josh Johnson, and James Morgan.
Wilson will have his NFL debut on the road against Darnold, the quarterback he replaced, and the Carolina Panthers.
Robert Saleh At The Helm
The Jets turn to Robert Saleh as their new head coach.
He won a Super Bowl as the defensive quality control coach for the Seattle Seahawks and appeared in Super Bowl LIV as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator.
So far, Jets players are responding positively to his coaching style, and he does not have any problems building rapport.
However, Saleh is not just attending to one side of the ball anymore.
Robert Saleh's journey to coaching in New York felt like destiny.
20 years after the 9/11 attacks touched his family, Saleh is right where he wants to be.@NYJets | #NFLFilmsPresents pic.twitter.com/DuBCaoJ3Gy
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) September 10, 2021
He must also oversee Wilson’s development if they are to be competitive in the AFC East.
They will be in for some tough competition in their division alone as the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and Buffalo Bills have the potential to make the playoffs.
But they will forever live in Jets folklore if they can make the team into legitimate contenders.
It may not happen this year, but there are surprises in the NFL every year.
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