Quick Slant: The Big Brother and the Unlucky Us
Patriots at Jets, Thursday @ 8:15 PM
Jealousy for the Patriots’ success is real; that’s why people will happily dance on the ashes and rubble of the tarnished empire. If you think the resentment is bad in your heart, imagine being an AFC East rival. After 20 years of being squashed by the most powerful machine in football, the Bills, Dolphins, and Jets are happy to finally get the better of Boston. Add to this the “Cubsian” spirit of the Unlucky Us that the Jets fans proudly wield and the woe they recently experienced when they plugged a Hall of Fame QB into a potentially special lineup only to lose him four plays into the season. Let's say the bitterness runs deep.
And this year, it might be different. That’s the battle cry of the Unlucky Us. That’s always been part of the fun; even more fun, however, is sticking the Evil Empire’s nose in it – giving them a taste of their own medicine. This year, it might be different. This year, the Jets might actually have a chance.
As for New England, they’ve been surprising. As we might expect from a rebuilding franchise starting a bridge quarterback, helmed by a former defensive player and DC, they’ve played a very old-school brand of football focused on establishing the run and playing defense. They scrapped together a win over Cincinnati. Then, they narrowly succumbed to reinvented Seattle.
This time, the Patriots are looking up; the Jets are the big brother. But the Unlucky Us could always find a way to return to where they’ve always been.
