A legitimate threat in the AFC playoff race, Jets coach Todd Bowles believes Gang Green can do damage in January -- if they get there.
"If it all comes together, we can be very dangerous," Bowles said Tuesday, per the New York Post.
If the season ended today, the upstart Jets would roll into the postseason as a wild-card entry out of the AFC East. New York and the Chiefs currently own the tie-breaker over Pittsburgh after the Jets ripped off three straight wins over the Dolphins, Giants and Titans. Games left against the Cowboys, Patriots and Bills will decide the fate of this intriguing Bowles-led squad.
"We know we have to win out," said cornerback Marcus Williams. "Just win that game each week. We are basically in the playoffs right now. It's win or go home. You don't want to be that team that says, 'We should have done this.' We have the right mentality and that comes from coach Bowles -- doing it the right way and getting better at the same time."
Said Williams: "We have guys with a little bit of a chip on their shoulders and those are the guys that are going to give it their all. We have nothing to lose basically. We just have to find that grit and get the job done."
The Jets have been a load to deal with over the past three weeks, with veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick playing out of his mind alongside hard-charging back Chris Ivory. Through the air, Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker have emerged as one of the AFC's top pass-catching duos, giving play-caller Chan Gailey plenty of weapons to work with.
Still, it boils down to Bowles, the first-year coach who brought newfound accountability and a business-first attitude to a team that floated away under Rex Ryan. These Jets are no joke, showing weekly they can hang with the big boys and potentially stun a higher seed come January. Gang Green is heating up at the ideal time.
