Three games remain in what has been a season rife with profound frustration and disappointment for the Jets, a season in which their chance of making the playoffs has become so minimal they face elimination if they do not beat the Titans on Monday night.
Once postseason elimination comes for the 6-7 Jets — whether it’s Monday night in Nashville, next Sunday at home against the Chargers or the following Sunday in Buffalo — they will reach the phase of the year when individual accolades come into focus.
Sadly, there have not been a lot of individual accomplishments for the Jets to celebrate this season.
Their quarterback situation has become messy, with Mark Sanchez looking as if he has regressed and his future in question. The receiver situation is even messier and there has not been enough help from the running game.
Defensively, though, there have been some rays of light, hope for 2013 and beyond. Second-year defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson has recently begun to gain notice for his consistent, disruptive play and is obviously a keeper.
Yesterday, head coach Rex Ryan — the unabashed cheerleading captain on his team — made a case for another one of his defensive players: cornerback Antonio Cromartie.
Based on the way Cromartie has performed this year in the wake of the Jets losing top cornerback Darrelle Revis for the season to a knee injury in Week 3, it is hard to muster up cynicism and argue with Ryan’s praise.
“How good has Cro played?’’ Ryan said, unsolicited. “We have not given up a 100-yard receiver all season, and he’s matched up generally on the [opposing team’s] best guy. So that’s how good, statistically, this guy is playing. When the Pro Bowl comes out it’d be ridiculous if he doesn’t make it.’’
Hard to argue.
Never mind that Cromartie has only three interceptions this season. He has stepped into Revis’ shutdown corner role.
What Cromartie has done to transform himself from an ultra-talented physical specimen who maddens you with periodic lapses in concentration to the best player on the field for the Jets has been the most impressive revelation on a team with too few of them.
Cromartie may or may not go to the Pro Bowl. That, as always, is a political popularity contest.
Cro Bowl or not, Cromartie is the Jets’ most valuable player — and surely will be voted as such by his peers in the final week of the season.
When Revis was lost for the season, Cromartie took on the added responsibility.
“Once Revis went down, [Cromartie] took it upon himself to take his game to the next level,’’ linebacker Calvin Pace said. “The way he’s been playing I think he should be making the trip to Hawaii [for the Pro Bowl]. He’s been playing phenomenal.’’
Cromartie’s performance has gone beyond what he has done on the field on Sundays. He has become a player-coach inside the locker room, mentoring the young defensive backs.
Cromartie conceded that when Revis went down, something inside him was activated, pushing him to raise his play and become more of a leader.
“It’s made me be more of a leader, making sure every guy understood what we need to do,’’ Cromartie said. “I wanted to make sure guys are watching film and we were communicating, making sure I try to be the leader the guys need me to be. I think it is one of my better years in terms of being consistent every single week, playing at a high level on a consistent basis.’’
When his head coach’s Pro Bowl comments were relayed to him, Cromartie insisted personal accolades were far from his radar.
“Honestly, I don’t think too much about the Pro Bowl,’’ he said. “If that did happen, it would be an individual accomplishment. Right now, I’m just worried about trying to get back to .500. I’d rather play in playoffs and go to the Super Bowl than go to the Pro Bowl.’’
If the Jets had more players performing the way Cromartie has this season, that’s precisely the path they likely would be on right now, instead of staring at imminent elimination and an offseason of what-ifs.