Rex Ryan saved his best motivational speech for the day after the Jets were eliminated from the playoffs.
“The best thing he said, maybe the entire year, was today: ‘It’s just the beginning. Wear your Jets stuff with pride, there is nothing to be ashamed about. It’s been an awesome year, we came a little bit short,’ ” Mark Sanchez said today in a transcript provided by the Jets. “That stuff happens, so we will rally and bounce back.”
The Jets did come up short in the AFC Championship, losing 30-17 to the Colts yesterday, but few thought this team was going to make the playoffs at the start of the season and less when they lost six of seven games after a 3-0 start.
“It’s important for me to understand, as a rookie, that it was pretty special,” Sanchez said. “As a team (it was) unbelievable. At one point we were 4-6, not a chance. We were kicked to the curb, not a chance. To make it as far as we did, the resilience in this locker room, the way we worked, the way we rallied around Rex, that was pretty special.
“On another note, the way Rex came in and just really changed the culture of this franchise in one year, that’s big time.”
The Jets’ run to the AFC Championship game, which they led 17-6 late in the first half, has infused the franchise with optimism, and they finally may be able to shake the “Same Old Jets” label with Ryan and Sanchez leading the way.
“There’s no reason we shouldn’t be proud to be a New York Jet,” Ryan said today. “This isn’t the ‘Same Old Jets,’ and any negative connotation that way is crazy. Like I said, punch somebody in the nose for it, if that’s the case.”
The Jets had the No. 1 defense in the NFL, and the offense, led by the top rushing attack, slowly caught up as the season progressed. Next season, the hope is the two units will be on equal footing.
“I don’t think there is a limit to the level we can attain; I just think it’s a thing where we’re going to analyze what we did well throughout the whole season, look at the things we’ve done poorly and just continue to work,” D’Brickashaw Ferguson said. “One of the benefits you have (is that) we had so many of the same guys in the locker room and so many of the same coaches. You can utilize experience and not so much start over. You can build on what you’ve already done.”
The return of two Pro Bowl players won’t hurt, either. The Jets lost DT Kris Jenkins for the year when he tore his ACL in a Week 6 loss to the Bills. The following week, game-breaking RB Leon Washington went down for the year with a broken leg. Washington is a restricted free agent but likely will be back with the Jets next year. Washington would pair with rookie RB Shonn Greene and possibly RB Thomas Jones to form a scary backfield.
“I expect to be 100 percent by the time the season rolls around,” Washington said.
Washington liked what he saw while sitting out and can not wait to be a valuable addition to next season’s team.
“(They played) hard, (with) determination, tough and physical,” said Washington, who had 331 rushing yards and 131 receiving before the gruesome injury.
“I saw a team that nobody wanted to play. That has to be extremely encouraging, especially for guys who missed half of the season. Like I told most of the guys today, I’m going to work my tail off to get back out there and help you guys. It’s going to be fun around here.
“Hopefully, we can start something that can continue this type of trend every year (and) be a team that’s talked about every year getting to the Super Bowl.”
Ryan expects his team to respond that way.
“There’s two ways to react to this. (You can say) ‘Oh, it’s not gonna happen,’ or you do just the opposite. And that’s what I’m saying,” Ryan said “I’m wearing Jets gear from now on … because I believe, I promise you that.”