During the 2009 NFL season, a 9-7 New York Jets team barely squeaked into the playoffs. They subsequently managed to tame the Cincinnati Bengals and spring an upset against the heavily favored San Diego Chargers. They would eventually fall to the Colts in the AFC Championship game, but, overall, the season was viewed as a success. This season, they once again fell short in the AFC Championship game.
Their 11-5 regular season record was the third best in team history. In the second round of the playoffs, they embraced the Cinderella role and defeated the New England Patriots, their arch rival and Super Bowl favorites. Jets fans have long been tortured by submarginal teams and heartbreaking losses. Since winning Super Bowl III in 1969, this franchise does not have much to show. As a result, fans are not inclined to expect much from year to year. Most Jet supporters would view coming one game short of the Super Bowl in two consecutive seasons as phenomenal success. To compare, the New York Yankees are on the opposite spectrum. Two straight seasons without winning the World Series is a complete failure to fans and management no matter what.
The last two seasons, however, have given the Jet fan-base new hope and reason to believe another Super Bowl win is actually possible. The bar has been raised. Now Jet fans, like Yankee fans, expect a championship next season. Brash and confident head coach Rex Ryan only increases these expectations by continually guaranteeing wins and proclaiming his team's superiority over the rest of the league. Rex is going to have to start backing up his talk, because next year it's Super Bowl champions or bust.
