After beating Eagles, the Jets are in complete control of their season — and they know it

Oct 15, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets cornerback Bryce Hall (37) celebrates with teammates after an interception during the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / © Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Jermaine Johnson smiled. Sarcastically, or maybe out of spite. The football world wrote the Jets off four snaps into their season. They couldn’t survive without Aaron Rodgers. They wouldn’t. This would be a slow bleed until January.

That’s what made this so, so sweet.

Johnson stood in the back left corner of a locker room still celebrating a stunning 20-14 victory over the previously undefeated Eagles. The left-for-dead Jets now enter their bye week at 3-3. They are in complete control of their season.

And they know it.

“One hundred percent,” said Johnson, when asked if this was a statement. “But it’s no surprise to me.”

The NFL schedule makers did the Jets no favors to begin this season and that was before Rodgers’ Achilles popped on national television. It was murderers row — a gauntlet of who’s who among the league’s hierarchy. The Jets opened the season against the Bills. Then it was the Cowboys, Patriots, Chiefs and Broncos in Denver. Their final test before their bye? The Eagles.

Most expected a .500 mark with Rodgers. The season felt lost when they started 1-3. They saved their season by beating the Broncos. They took control of it by taking down the defending NFC champions. They have a legitimate opportunity to assert themselves among the conference’s best after their in-season vacation.

“How can you count us out?” said defensive end John Franklin-Myers.

Awaiting the Jets after the bye is an opportunity. New York isn’t at a point where it can take anyone for granted, but its schedule is littered with games it should win. It starts with the train-wreck Giants. This team also has dates against the Chargers, Raiders, Falcons, Texans, Commanders, Browns and Patriots.

None of those teams are contenders. Most would be lucky to finish the season with a winning record. The Jets, in each game, would have a legitimate talent advantage at most positions.

“There’s no quit in this team,” quarterback Zach Wilson said.

Rodgers played catch with Sauce Gardner and Zack Kuntz before the game — just more than a month removed from his Achilles injury. He then stood on the sideline for every minute of the Jets’ victory. Robert Saleh called him a “freakazoid” as the quarterback continues to try to return this season. Until he does, the defense looks more than capable of leading the way.

The Jets didn’t just face good quarterbacks to begin the season. They faced arguably three of the top five. They “embarrassed” them all, Saleh said. Buffalo’s Josh Allen went 29 of 41 for 236 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. He also lost a fumble. Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes was 18 of 30 for 203 yards with a touchdown and two picks. Hurts, on Sunday, was 27 of 43 for 279 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions — including one to safety Tony Adams in the final minutes that set up Breece Hall’s game-winning touchdown. The Jets faced Hurts without the three best outside corners (Gardner, D.J. Reed, Brandin Echols), and lost nickelback Michael Carter II midway through the fourth.

The three’s quarterback ratings: 62.7, 63.6, 59.5. The Jets were 2-1 in those games.

It was Reed who faced criticism before the season when he said this defense could be as good as the 1985 Bears. Far less are laughing at that now. Teams like the 2014 Seahawks 2007 Bears were led by their defenses. The Jets appear more than capable of doing the same.

“(Reed) set the bar,” said linebacker Quincy Williams. “Our biggest thing is being the best defense ever. That bar is set.”

The Jets will need to get more from their offense until Rodgers returns. They know that. They beat the Broncos, but Denver had a chance late in the fourth quarter to take the lead because New York went 0 for 5 in the red zone. The Jets were 0 for 3 and trailing Philadelphia until Hurts’ interception. The Eagles then let Hall score from eight yards out as to get the ball from to Hurts.

The line — down Duane Brown, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Joe Tippmann (who could miss significant time after injuring his thigh against the Eagles) — struggled again against the Eagles, allowing five sacks. Alarming, though, was the Jets’ inability to get the passing attack going. James Bradberry was the lone starter on the field for the Eagles. They were down to their fourth stringers at both safety (Mekhi Garner) and nickel (Mario Goodrich).

Wilson completed just 19 of 33 passes (57.6 percent) for 186 yards. The Jets, as a team, had only 244 yards of offense. They were 2 of 11 (18 percent) on third down. Aside from Garrett Wilson (eight catches for 90 yards) and Hall (five for 54), no other player had more than 24 yards (Tyler Conklin).

“We’re that freaking close offensively,” Saleh said. “We have to finish. We’re that freaking close. I think we will.”

The Jets really will compete within this conference if they can do that. More importantly, though, it’s about keeping themselves in contention until Rodgers inevitably returns.

All hope of that seemed lost before the Jets boarded their flights to Denver two weeks ago.

Now?

This team is all the way back.