New York Jets vs. San Diego Chargers: A Watershed Moment in the Season

Sep 28, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan (R) hugs Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell (L) after their game at MetLife Stadium. The Lions won 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

Every season has it’s “watershed” moment. Every year, a team has that point in the year that defines that season for all time. It’s moments like these where you learn what your favorite team is really made of.

The Jets have one of those moments coming up on Sunday in San Diego.

We don’t have to dwell on what has gone on so far. The Jets are 1-3. They beat the Raiders on opening weekend, and lost three in a row. The Jets could have won all three, or two out of three, but they fell short. They haven’t been able to put together a full 60 minutes of football together. So, here they sit, in last place in the AFC East.

However, all is not lost. The division has not been great so far. We all saw how our favorite team looked this past Monday night. It was like Hanukah came early, to see Tom Brady sulking on the sidelines. Frankly, it almost made up for the Jets’ loss the day before. The Jets are in last, but the rest of the division is tied at 2-2. The Jets are only one game behind, the division is still up for grabs.

The Jets head up to New England in two weeks. The Patriots are quite beatable, as we saw the other night. The Chiefs are good, but I don’t think anyone expected them to pound the Patriots like they did. The Jets can beat this team. The Broncos can be beaten as well. Granted, it will be a tough chore, but it has already been done this season. It can be done again.

All is not lost.

Tension has begun to mount around the Jets. As the losses have accumulated, so have the chants for Michael Vick. Geno Smith has been getting it pretty bad. It’s been so bad, that Geno lashed out at an unruly fan, as we all heard about after the game. He apologized soon after, but the fact remains that it happened. Sheldon Richardson told the fans to “shut up”. We aren’t in the locker room, so we don’t know the level, but it is abundantly clear that things are getting tense.

How do you fix tension on a football team? Win. That’s how.

Sep 28, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback

Philip Rivers

(17) is all smiles on the sidelines during the closing minutes against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers rolled to a 33-14 win over the Jaguars. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The moment of 2014 comes this weekend, when the Jets take on Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers. The result of Sunday’s game will say a lot about the future of the 2014 New York Jets. It’s a must-win, plain and simple. Yes, it’s early in the season, but the Jets have to have this one.