The NFL season is always full of surprises -- for example, can you believe how few players have been arrested through the first five weeks? But nothing shocks me more than the fact that the Jets’ opponent this weekend has somehow amassed two wins already.
After all, I thought there was a realistic chance that Washington might not win two games all year. And not only are they 2-3, they might well have knocked off the undefeated Falcons last week to instead be 3-2, except for Kirk Cousins’s bonehead interception in overtime.
Alas, Cousins can be counted on to throw bonehead interceptions. It’s what he does (sorry, Geico). But if the QB can take care better of the ball on Sunday, the Jets may have a fight on their hands. Because somehow, despite essentially having both hands tied behind their backs thanks to the worst owner in pro sports, Daniel Snyder, and a coach who appears determined to redefine clueless in Jay Gruden (speaking of clueless, I’ve heard that Snyder just realized this week that “Jay” isn’t a nickname for Jon Gruden, whom the owner actually thought he hired two years ago), Washington has shown promise on both sides of the ball.
They come into Met Life Stadium ranking 11th in total yards in the league on offense, and sixth in yards allowed on defense. Hearing this, you’d be excused for thinking Washington was more like 4-1 than 2-3. Of course, you don’t get points for yards, you get them for, well, scoring. And they’ve done that less than all but six NFL teams.
The Jets, meanwhile, rank among the top dozen teams in scoring offense and above all others in defense. So far this season, Gang Green has looked like one of the better teams in pro football, even with a so-so quarterback in a QB-driven league. That said, the Jets can rightfully be called out for playing down to their competition -- an ominous sign for Sunday.
A few weeks back, Gang Green gave one away to the Eagles, who couldn’t even beat Washington. The following game, they convincingly beat Miami, but didn’t do a good job of putting the Fins away, allowing the clearly awful Fish to stay within reach until the contest was nearly done.
Put simply, there’s no way Washington should get win No. 3 at MetLife Stadium. If the Jets are going to be a playoff team, the first step is winning games against inferior opponents. With DL Sheldon Richardson back in the lineup after a four-game suspension, Gang Green’s fearsome front seven gets even scarier, and Cousins will likely spend much of the afternoon under pressure.
U.S. & World
So Revis & Co., get ready. The pigskin may be coming your way.
