NY Jets: 4 things fans should be thankful for this Thanksgiving

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NY Jets’ fans should be thankful for these four things this Thanksgiving season.

The NY Jets are in the midst of a miserable 2020 season that has seen the team go winless through their first 10 games. They are off to their worst start in franchise history and look well on pace to finish as one of the worst teams in the history of the NFL.

Finding positives during a time like this has been a lot like searching for a productive conversation on social media. They exist, but they’re few and far between.

The Jets are no exception to this rule as, despite the seemingly endless string of things that have gone wrong this year, there are still a few things for fans to take solace in.

After all, Thanksgiving is a time when friends and family come together to show their appreciation for the things in their life that they take for granted. And in a season such as the one we’re in right now, it’s been very easy to underappreciate the good things.

Just look at the Jets. They’re 0-10 through 11 weeks, are employing a lame-duck coach who will be fired at the season’s end, and were on pace for the worst point differential in league history for much of the year.

Not to mention, one of the only things to look forward to is the eventual return of Sam Darnold — a player who will likely be playing his final handful of games with the organization next month.

But let’s forget about all of that for just a few moments. Let’s forget about the ineptitude, let’s forget about the dysfunction, and let’s just show appreciation for these lovable losers of ours.

It’s time to embark on a pilgrimage of positivity and discuss four things that Jets fans should be thankful for in 2020.

Next: 4. A Quinnen Williams breakout year

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4. NY Jets fans should be thankful for Quinnen Williams

The NFL is an impatient league and fans tend to be even more impatient than their own favorite teams. That’s why after an underwhelming rookie season, many were quick to write Quinnen Williams off as a bust.

The No. 3 overall pick failed to make much of an impact as either a run-defender or pass-rusher and many feared the worst — likely spurred on by a chequered past of failed interior defensive line draft picks.

But in 2020, Williams has worked to shelve many of those criticisms.

The former Alabama star is in the middle of a true breakout campaign having recorded 3.5 sacks, 34 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and six QB hits through nine games. All four figures have already surpassed his rookie total.

Per Michael Nania of Jets X-Factor, Williams is one of only three interior defensive linemen with a Pro Football Focus pass-rush and run-defense grade of 70.0 or higher, 20+ pressures, and 20+ stops, along with Cameron Heyward and DeForest Buckner.

Those are elite numbers and that’s elite company to be a part of.

He’s been a well-rounded defensive lineman in every sense of the term performing well above average as both a pass-rusher and in run defense.

The future looks bright for Quinnen Williams and that’s something that every Jets fan should be thankful for.

Next: 3. Mekhi Becton

3. NY Jets fans should be thankful for Mekhi Becton

Expectations were high for Mekhi Becton when he entered the NFL, but many of those expectations revolved around what he could become in the future. As for his rookie season, a mixed bag was anticipated.

The first-round pick was expected to go through his fair share of growing pains, but to this point, those growing pains have been nearly nonexistent.

Becton has exceeded any and all expectations and has legitimately been one of the Jets’ most consistent contributors on either side of the ball. For a player who was dubbed a “project” coming out of Louisville, that’s certainly promising.

Becton is currently ranked as Pro Football Focus‘ 30th overall offensive tackle and is one of just 15 players at his position with a PFF pass-block and run-block grade north of 72.0.

And somewhat amazingly, he leads all AFC offensive tackles in Pro Bowl votes at the time of writing. At just 21-years-old, Jets fans couldn’t have asked for a more encouraging start to his career.

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The sky is the limit for Becton and it really seems as though general manager Joe Douglas nailed his first-round pick in 2020.

Becton has done his best to make Jets fans forget about this dumpster fire of a season. And for that, he deserves his share of gratitude.

Next: 2. A loyal fan base

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2. NY Jets fans should be thankful for their loyal fandom

Say what you want about the Jets and their fans. They can be a rowdy, impatient, and sometimes unruly bunch.

But one thing they’re not is disloyal.

The Jets’ franchise has long been one of the hardest to root for in the NFL. From the troubling ’70s that failed to produce a single winning record to the infamous “Butt Fumble” (Happy Thanksgiving everyone!), few fan bases have been forced to endure what Jets fans have.

And yet, through it all, they’ve remained loyal.

Jets fans survived the Heidi Game, the Mud Bowl, the Dan Marino fake spike, torment from Bill Belichick and the Patriots, the Butt Fumble, Christian Hackenberg, and everything in between.

If you thought an 0-10 start was going to deter them, then you clearly don’t understand the mental fortitude of these folks.

The Jets have given their fans little reason to continue investing in them. Poor organizational decisions have resulted in the franchise constantly shooting themselves in the foot. The franchise has made life miserable for fans.

But Jets fans thrive on misery.

They thrive on false hope that’s immediately succeeded by disappointment. Thus is the cycle of being a Jets fan — and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

If this year has taught us anything, it’s that the loyalty of Jets fans cannot be understated. This organization might suck, but the fans are some of the best in all of sports.

And that alone is something to be thankful for.

Next: 1. A brighter tomorrow

NY Jets

1. NY Jets fans should be thankful for a brighter tomorrow

A wise man once said that once you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up. If the Jets haven’t hit rock bottom yet, they have to be damn near close.

An 0-10 team sporting a roster each week that will likely lose up to 75 percent of its players in the offseason is about as dismal as it gets. Their coach will be gone and so too will their quarterback. They’re starting a 37-year-old running back.

If this isn’t rock bottom, it’s hard to imagine what is.

But there is hope. Perhaps it’s that very false hope that we alluded to earlier, but it’s all we got at this point.

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There is hope for a brighter future. With heaps of draft capital and cap space over the next two years, Joe Douglas is going to be given free rein to construct a roster worthy of a legitimate contender.

He’ll have a new head coach — hopefully one that he hand-picked — and likely a shiny new quarterback. Hello, Trevor Lawrence?

The Jets can turn things around, and it doesn’t have to take three to four years. Just look at the Miami Dolphins for proof of just how quickly an organization can change its fortunes.

The clouds have descended on a dreadful, dreary 2020 season. Darkness has engulfed the New York Jets’ franchise and fans are in a perpetual state of apathy.

But out of the darkness, the light will rise. Today might feel hopeless, but tomorrow is a new day.

And as you celebrate this day of giving, it’s important to remember that idea — both when it comes to the Jets and our own lives.

Happy Thanksgiving folks, stay safe out there.