The Jets seemingly had things wrapped up for an easy win on Sunday at home against the Texans. However, in less time than it takes to drive to the store buy a gallon of milk and return, the Jets had coughed up a 23-7 lead and were somehow trailing the Texans, 27-23.
Luckily, for the Jets at least, they were playing the Houston Texans, more specifically a Houston defense that is starting to prove there is not a quarterback in the league that they can't turn into a Hall of Famer for at least a day. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez led an improbable game-winning drive (72 yards in 45 seconds) in the last minute, punctuated by a Santonio Holmes touchdown reception for the win.
Some will tell you that "a win is a win." That may be the case. For one more week, at least, the Jets are keeping up with the AFC East pace that is now being set in New England. But, at some point, you have to think it will catch up to Gang Green and end up costing them.
Just last weekend, the Jets looked poised to suffer the same fate the Patriots did a week earlier — losing to the Browns. With time running down in overtime, though, and a tie looking like the best-case scenario, Sanchez found Holmes for a touchdown and the Jets escaped.
And two weekends ago, it was the same story in Detroit. The Jets had to go to overtime to dispatch of the Lions in a game that probably should not have even gone to overtime if it weren't for defensive tackle Ndamakung Suh's ugly PAT attempt in the wake of kicker Jason Hanson's injury. Furthermore, the Jets were helped into overtime by not only Suh's kicking debacle, but by a personal foul call on the Lions late in the fourth that put the Jets into field goal range.
This recent stretch of good fortune all comes on the heels of an ugly Week 8 loss to the Packers in which Sanchez looked like the rookie version of himself on the way to 9-0 shutout loss.
So what do we take from all of this? The Jets have looked shaky at best for three straight weeks now, but have come away with victories each time. So while it's somewhat disconcerting to win games the way they have been, at the end of the day, they're coming away with the "W."
There will come a time, whether it's in a few weeks when the Jets come to Foxboro or even further down the road, in the playoffs perhaps, where it will catch up to them.
Just look at the Jets' wins and losses this season. It's no surprise that the Jets' two losses — to the Ravens and Packers — have come against potential playoff teams while the likes of the lowly Lions, Browns and Texans keep letting the Jets off the hook.
In fairness, the Jets did beat the Patriots and something has to be said for New York's continued resiliency, especially that of Sanchez. In the NFL, though, the line between being resilient and getting lucky is razor-thin. If you are only as good as your record says you are, the Jets are a good team. They have eight wins and no one can take that from them. Until the playoffs.
Until the Jets get things straightened out, they'll continue to live by "Just win, baby," but if they continue to just get by the way they are right now, they'll be in for a rude awakening when the playoffs roll around.
