Minutes after the Jets cemented the most surprising upset of this N.F.L. season, before travel plans for the American Football Conference championship had been booked, linebacker Bart Scott stood defiant at his locker, mouth running, faster than ever.
Scott loudly listed the slights, the dozens of so-called experts who picked against the Jets, who said they backed into these playoffs, even the Chargers, who Scott said spent the first half reminding the Jets they did not belong.
On the Jets’ joy ride to the game before the Super Bowl, their loquacious linebacker and the rest of his teammates have clung to their underdog status. Even after they topped the Chargers, 17-14, in front of the 69,498 they silenced at Qualcomm Stadium, the Jets sounded the same theme.
“Everybody can say we don’t deserve to be here,” Scott said. “That we snuck in. That we’re a fluke.” Then Scott added, “We haven’t even cracked the seal on how good we can be.”
Update: Agony in San Diego–“Bolts’ bitter end: Miscues derail hopes of Chargers ”” and fans.” Read it all also.
I feel really bad for San Diego the city and especially the fans.
One way I would put it is–did the Jets Win or did San Diego lose? It is so clearly number 2. If even one of the 3 missed field goals would have been good, the game would have ended tied.
I’m OK with the outcome because the game was played on the field, between the lines and not among the pundits in the papers, talk radio and on the internet. Sometimes the better team loses. It is a life lesson that is often missed.
Possibly (probably?) LT’s last game here – we’ll see. They just had a bad day (and a lot of silly mistakes). Well, it’s raining here in San Diego, so the weather matches our mood.
Speaking as a Seahawks fan… I find that I cannot muster great sympathy for people whose teams are actually good, even when those teams play the occasional bad game 🙂
Also: the Jets defense really played well.
The Jets played great – and I kind of like that their quarterback is a rookie and has made it so far.
The Chargers had only one team that could beat them and was themselves!
It will be interesting to see how the Jets fare against Indianapolis, especially since it was Indy throwing a game that allowed the Jets into the playoffs.