The New York Jets are a very hopeful 3-2, and they have given the front office a reason to consider retaining everyone including head coach Todd Bowles. They could lose 11 games in a row, or they could have a decent season on the strength of this good start. The Jets are not good enough to beat the Patriots in the AFC East, but they can be very competitive with the Dolphins. The Dolphins just beat the Titans, and this division looks a lot better than we thought it would. The Bills are just as good as the Jets, and the Patriots are barely on top.
We might see some more intense competition that will result in a more balanced division, save Todd Bowles' job, and give the Jets reason to settle down before they draft a quarterback.
Todd Bowles can stay
I am hoping against hope that Todd Bowles can keep his job. He has sounded so fed up with his team for a few weeks, but his team is suddenly in a very good position to win a few more games and make a nice showing. The Jets are giving Todd Bowles his job back with every win, and it is really funny to think that the Jets might have fired this man before the end of the season. I have written a column about Todd Bowles possibly leaving before the end of the season, and now he could keep his job because his team is near the top of what we thought would be a tough division for everyone but the Patriots.
How long can they keep this up?
The Jets are not capable of keeping this up for the balance of the season. I fully expect them to lose to the Patriots twice, and they might not even beat the Bills. However, they can build up a lot of experience that could help them win other games. If they can turn this momentum into a few extra Wins, they can show someone that they are fit to draft them as their franchise quarterback.
We joked that Sam Darnold might want to stay in school, but he might want to come out if he thinks the Jets are not a complete train wreck. Tanking should have worked, but maybe this plan works much better for the Jets. They can get a quarterback who is a little bit lower in the draft, use extra draft picks to build up their offensive line, and they will have a brand new team when next year starts.
That would be a good reason to keep Todd Bowles around, and it might help them develop a new quarterback faster.
This is a tenuous hope
We can be hopeful about the Jets all we want, but they have to keep playing hard. I would feel terrible if they lost a bunch of games in a row and threw this away. This Jets team might be onto something.