Some people have been surprised at how well the New York Jets have performed thus far under rookie head coach Todd Bowles, but it’s clear he isn’t satisfied with the team’s 2-1 start to the 2015 NFL season.
Bowles has the playoffs on his mind, and he believes reaching the postseason is a “realistic” goal for the Jets this season.
“Realistic for us is trying to get to the playoffs,” Bowles tells the Daily News in the run-up to an overseas game against the Dolphins on Sunday. “However we get there. All we want to do is get in. If you get in, you got a chance. But we got to do the things to get in.”
So far, it certainly appears this team is doing the things it needs to do in order to make a serious run at postseason play. With a blowout win over Cleveland in Week 1 and an impressive beat-down of Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts, it’s clear the Jets have some firepower on both sides of the ball.
Bowles realizes a hot start doesn’t mean anything, though. And this was clearly evident in Week 3 when the Jets lost to a winless Philadelphia Eagles team that jumped out to an early 24-0 start. Things can spiral out of control quickly when the little things that make or break teams are ignored. Bowles wants his team to finish the first quarter of the season above .500 heading into the bye week, and he sees the season as a four-part play.
“Once the bye week is over, the season is going to really start, because everybody is going to see what we do on both sides of the ball,” Bowles said.
“My goal going into the first quarter was to be above .500,” Bowles continues. “You give yourself a chance in that quarter. Then, you get ready for the second quarter. You grind out the third quarter. You see the light at the end of the tunnel in the fourth quarter.”
The Jets have a long ways to go to realize the vision of this impressive rookie head coach.
The next step comes on foreign soil when they take on AFC East rival Miami Dolphins in London on Sunday. The Dolphins come into the game with their backs against the wall with a 1-2 record, which makes them dangerous. Furthermore, divisional games are always unpredictable, meaning the Jets must continue to focus on doing all the little things right in order to come back to the States with another victory.