It is the beginning of May. Finals season is approaching, and summer has not even started yet I am sitting here weirdly wanting to fast forward to the fall. I know it is unheard of for a 21-year-old kid to want to just skip summer and go right back into classes, cold weather and everything else that comes with the end of summer. However, there is one thing this 21-year-old kid has that others do not.
A sickening 16-game dream with the New York Jets. I say sickening because anyone who follows football knows how frustrating and pathetic the Jets franchise has been for 50+ years now. I plan on going to all 16 games this upcoming football season a dream I've had since I was little kid, and I guess you can say there is no better time to do it than during your first semester of senior year of college. My last year before I enter the 9-5 "real world" as my parents will call it.
Here's the Jets 16 game schedule and the eight cities I'll be visiting and my own way too early season prediction!
Week 1: Buffalo Bills vs New York Jets, MetLife Stadium East Rutherford New Jersey
Week 1 home opener against division rival Buffalo Bills... should be a crowed flooded with Bills fans, but the Jets will be playing in their new jerseys, first games for prize free agents CJ Mosley and Leveon Bell, just sounds like a loss.
0-1
Week 2: Cleveland Browns vs New York Jets MetLife Stadium East Rutherford New Jersey
The Jets welcome the Baker show to MetLife for a week 2 Monday Night Football matchup. Do you guys remember when the Browns got their first win in 635 days against the Jets last year? Yeah not again. The Jets get this one.
1-1
Week 3: New York Jets @ New England Patriots Gillette Stadium Foxborough Massachusetts
Alright, my first road trip and it is to a city that no one would probably know of if it was not for the pure dominance of Tom Brady, Bill Bilichek and the New England Patriots. Yeah, I give the Jets no shot in this one. My first "waste of money" trip.
1-2
Week 4: Bye
Cannot lose a game, it's a win. Onto the next one.
Week 5: New York Jets @ Philadelphia Eagles Lincoln Financial Stadium "The Linc" Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Probably the city and stadium I am most looking forward to visiting. The fans are crazy, probably even borderline obnoxious, but I respect it. The Jets have never beaten the Eagles 0-10 all time, let's say I bring the Jets some luck this time, we sneak out of Philly with a dub.
2-2
Week 6: Dallas Cowboys @ New York Jets, MetLife Stadium East Rutherford New Jersey
Yeah, this might be a road game with the amount of Cowboys fans in this area. I do not like this matchup at all and given that the Jets have beaten the Cowboys in their last two matchups dating back to 2011, this has Cowboys dub written all over it
2-3
Week 7: New England Patriots @ New York Jets MetLife Stadium East Rutherford New Jersey
The defending champs are back, and if there is one thing about this upcoming football season is that the Jets will split their two games with the Patriots this year. Better to get them early in the year and the Jets get them twice in the first seven weeks. The second at home on MNF. Jets move to 2-0 in primetime with the upset.
3-3
Week 8: New York Jets @ Jacksonville Jaguars EverBank Field Jacksonville Florida
My first trip to the sunshine state hoping to escape daylight savings time and the cold start to November. The Jets lost badly in Jacksonville last year, not happening again. Plus if you think I'm buying a plane ticket for the Jets to lose you are crazy. W and the Jets have their first "winning streak."
4-3
Week 9: New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins Hard Rock Stadium Miami Florida
ANDDDDD I'm back in the sunshine state back to back weeks. This will probably be the most relaxing week of my 21-year-old life. Two Jet games in a row in Florida, Jacksonville, and Miami. Idk if it gets any better, and to put the icing on the cake in Head Coach Adam Gases return to Miami the Jets extend their winning streak to three.
5-3
Week 10: New York Giants @ New York Jets MetLife Stadium East Rutherford
I'm back home for THE BATTLE OF NEW YORK... will it be Daniel Jones at QB or Eli? are the Giants serious about winning this year? who knows... too many questions surrounding Big Blue, Jets fans will be rocking with the QB that should have been theirs in Sam Darnold. Jets defend their New York bragging rights from 2015 with another victory over the G-Men. Winning streak four.
6-3
Week 11: New York Jets @ Washington Redskins FedEx Field Landover Maryland
My 3rd trip in 4 weeks is to the nation's capital. Well just outside of it actually. This is a weird one for me. I feel as if the Jets should win this one but a 5 game winning streak and a 3-0 start in November seems too good to be true. At least I have a shorter drive home.
6-4
Week 12: Oakland Raiders @ New York Jets MetLife Stadium East Rutherford New Jersey
The circus of the Oakland Raiders comes into New York, and personally, I believe they are going to be a dumpster fire this year. I might be wrong but still, a late November trip across the country usually does not produce W's. Jets get back in the win column.
7-4
Week 13: New York Jets @ Cincinnati Bengals Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati Ohio
A trip to Cincinnati on the first day of December is not necessarily something anyone wants to do. But I do for the Jets and to be honest I probably shouldn't. I feel as if the Jets never win in Cincinnati minus a wild-card victory in 2010. Jets lose a game they should win and I have a miserable trip back home.
7-5
Week 14: Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets MetLife Stadium East Rutherford New Jersey
I can not see the Jets sweeping the Dolphins. Whether it is Josh Rosen starting or Ryan Fitzpatrick the Jets will find a way to lose another game they should win and they have us fans screaming "Same old Jets" as they hit the 6 loss mark and a two-game losing streak.
7-6
Week 15: New York Jets @ Baltimore Ravens M&T Bank Stadium Baltimore Maryland
After a tough loss to the Dolphins at home, I still decide to take the short trip to Baltimore and my second trip to Maryland on a short week. A Thursday Night Football game that has the Jets season hanging in the balance... I think the Jets head into Baltimore and get a huge win against Lamar Jackson and Co. Jets get their first win in December. 3-0 in Primetime.
8-6
Week 16: Pittsburgh Steelers @ New York Jets MetLife Stadium East Rutherford New Jersey
I have a feeling this game is going to mean a lot and is going to be flexed into primetime. Leveon Bell faces his old team and Gang Green gets a big win at home setting themselves up for a win and in-game in nowhere else but... Buffalo.
9-6
Week 17: New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills New Era Field Orchard Park Buffalo New York
Flashbacks and nightmares to the "Todd Bowles" game of 2015, where the Jets were 10-5 going into Buffalo with a "win and in" situation. Fast forward four years and they are in the same spot, this time being 9-6. History would tell me not to make this trip, but this is where the sickening part of my opening statement comes in. I am buying in on the "New Look" New York Jets. They win. They make the playoffs riding a three-game winning streak and I get ready to buy my game and a plane ticket to Wild Card Weekend.
10-6
LET'S GET IT.
So now here is the real question.... who is coming with me?