Trying To Move On
You ever say something stupid?
Or something you thought was pretty stupid?
And then you spend the next few minutes or hours or days just thinking about what you should have said instead?
That's the way I feel about the Jets right now...replaying certain parts of the AFC Championship Game over and over again in my mind, wishing there was a better outcome.
And nothing looms larger in my mind's eye than 3rd and 6.
On 3rd and 6 I let myself believe that 24-0 Steelers could finally become 26-24 Jets. I convinced myself that with a stop and the Jets getting the ball back, they would march down the field and win the game. Just like they did so may times this season.
But no sooner did I raise my hopes than 3rd and 6 became 1st and 10. Ben Roethlisberger rolled out, completed a short pass that turned into a 14-yard gain, and Pittsburgh was able to run out the clock.
I've seen that play over and over ever since Sunday night.
The Jets' failure to get the ball in the end zone from the goal line? That pops into my head every so often as well.
I imagine Bryan Thomas has some images running over and over in his head, too. He looked silly earlier in the game when Roethlisberger ran into the end zone for the touchdown that put the Steelers ahead 17-0. Thomas tracked Roethlisberger, then switched off to the running back before re-committing himself to Roethlisberger...too late to catch him and stop the score.
Maybe Drew Coleman too. I watched him keep an eye on the running back out of the backfield, giving Roethlisberger no options for about 5-6 seconds, only to then try blitzing and leaving the running back target for Roethlisberger, which he hit for a big gain and a first down.
The Southern Bureau texted me shortly after the AFC Championship Game saying this: "You'd almost wish they were blown out. That second half leaves a lot of 'what could have been'..."
He's right. Last year's 13-point loss to Indianapolis was a sad ending to an almost totally unexpected ride to the AFC Championship Game.
This year's was infuriating to me. It was extremely disappointing - this was supposed to be a Super Bowl team, and it fell short. All they needed was one defensive stop there at the end to have a chance to win (not to mention multiple first-half chances that ended up biting the team in the butt in the end). And it makes you wonder what the Jets could have done if they were hosting the AFC Championship Game...or maybe at least if they weren't playing their third straight road game.
The Jets fell short of the Super Bowl this year. That's a huge disappointment for a team - and this fan - that was expecting nothing less than a championship this year. And coming so close in the end just makes it all the more infuriating. I can't get certain plays out of my head yet.
Almost makes you wish it wasn't so close. Almost makes you wish they had just lost 24-0.
Almost makes you wish they hadn't made the playoffs at all.
