On SNY Sunday, New York Jets rookie Mekhi Becton spoke of how “You ain’t really a fan if you don’t want us to win.” His statement comes as a response to fan’s reactions to the Jets’ upset win over the Los Angeles Rams Sunday. A loss that may loom large for years to come. Many fans, of course, were rooting for the New York Jets failure to continue in order to secure the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The win sparked a heated debate amongst Jets fans, whether to support winning or the tank. With the win, the Jets are no longer the favorite for the first overall pick. The Jacksonville Jaguars take that spot, having the strength of schedule tiebreaker. Had the Jets continued on the losing path, meaning going 0-16, the Jets would have secured the pick.
As former Jets head coach Herm Edwards once said, “You play to win the game.” But the idea of fans wanting to lose to support the team’s rebuild is not a new concept. Let alone one that is new to the Jets fanbase altogether. In fact, it is one that has put fans at their breaking point, and all because of the team’s constant false hope
How Years of New York Jets Failure Has Caused the “Real Fan” Debate
A Sour Taste from the Past Decade
One thing all Jets fans can agree on is that head coach Adam Gase should be let go after Week 17 against the New England Patriots. When he does, they will embark on their latest rebuild attempt. Gase is going to be blamed the most, as the supposed offensive-minded head coach was unable to own the locker room, develop young quarterback Sam Darnold, and alienated his top players. Without a doubt, Gase will be joining Rich Kotite as one of the organization’s worst head coaches. With Gase likely gone, general manager Joe Douglas will have a clean slate to fix this mess.
Or at least be the latest to attempt to.
The rebuild has been a decades-old trend for the Jets now. The 2010s more than ever. The team let go of Mike Tannebaum as general manager after they failed to build off of back-to-back AFC Championship appearances. His replacement John Idzik was gone after two years. He, like Tannenbaum at the end of his tenure, drafted poorly and made poor spending choices. Just like that, the Jets were rebuilding for a second time four years after their last playoff appearance.
Idzik’s replacement Mike Maccagnan started off well, bringing in Todd Bowles and spending to complete a quick rebuild. Except paying aging veterans quickly became a bad idea, and once again, they faced a rebuild. Prior to 2019, Bowles was replaced with Gase. Maccagnan then was let go in an embarrassing fashion just weeks after the draft. And that is where Douglas comes in. Looking to fix years of failed attempts to do things right.
The Toll of Losing
While they may no longer go 0-16, the 2020 New York Jets can still go down as one of the worst teams in history. Their offense has been putrid and has plenty of similarities to the winless 2008 Detroit Lions and 2017 Cleveland Browns. Defensively they have been better, but not great. After all, being 1-13 is a team effort.
Gang Green has not made the Super Bowl since 1969. Their winningest coach coached his last game for the team in 1973. Joe Namath, the lone franchise quarterback, departed after 1976. And the Jets’ last division title came in 2002. On that note, should the Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers lock playoff spots in the next two weeks, the Jets will have the league’s longest playoff drought.
Nonetheless, somehow, die-hard fans have stuck out all this to cheer on their beloved team. Ultimately, Jets fans deserve better. To some, it seemed as if better was at the end of a winless tunnel. And that is where the debate begins.
The “Real Fan” Debate
Clearly, it has never been easy for Jets fans, and the chances of it getting better soon just diminished. The “tank,” this concept of losing to ensure the advantages poor teams receive to improve, has always been frowned upon in sports. No player wants to lose, neither does a coach, let alone an owner. Winning is better for everyone, including fans. That is why some fans were celebrating the team avoiding the most embarrassing feat in football – an 0-16 season.
Then there are the fans who were in shock, and still might be. A winless season came with the first overall pick. Therefore, should he declare, the rights to Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Arguably the best and most sure-fire prospect since Andrew Luck, Lawrence alone makes a head coach opening intriguing for anyone. It would have given the Jets that franchise quarterback they had been searching for since Namath. To them, a winless season would have been welcomed with the franchise savior, something that would have made it all worth it.
On Sunday, following the NFL’s biggest upset in the last 25 years, these fans went at it. Either arguing in favor of finally winning one game, or arguing that this win may have just screwed the franchise for another decade. It has only continued, and may never stop until the Jets begin to win yet again.
How Years of New York Jets Failure Has Caused the “Real Fan” Debate
Whether fans like it or not, the team is now 1-13. Jacksonville controls their own destiny to get the first overall pick and Lawrence, while Jets fans remain in misery. They are at a boiling point, whether supporting the tank or not.
And there is nobody else to blame except for the Jets’ inability to do their job – win football games.
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