Take Jets quarterback Geno Smith, for example, who told NFL Network on Sunday that a championship is a realistic expectation for his team.
“I feel good about our team making a Super Bowl run,” Smith said. “We got some really good additions. We are a young team, but we are still growing.”
Optimistic, indeed, for a QB who struggled with consistency throughout his rookie season on a team that limped to an 8-8 record. But that’s the beauty of a fresh slate. Last year was last year.
“I know I have progressed in my second year and I think everybody is progressing pretty well, Smith added. “You know, why not us?”
Why not the Jets? Well, the Patriots, kings of the AFC East who have failed to win the division a grand total of two times in the last 13 years, are one reason. There’s also a handful of capable AFC teams hoping to make it to Arizona in February. Peyton Manning’s ringless, record-breaking 2013 season should serve as solid motivation for the Broncos, to point one out.
Not to say New York can’t get it done. After all, the “any given Sunday” rule always applies in the NFL.
But at this point, with Smith reportedly an intentional nudge above newcomer Michael Vick for the starting job — a situation that’s a head-scratcher for many — it’s simple optimism.
Just like everybody else.
