I want that Feeling Back

I decided to take a break from The Youts to write about something I've been thinking of more and more leading up to Sunday's showdown. There is One time in the Rex Ryan/Mark Sanchez era I felt sure we would beat a superior opponent. One time I knew we would claim what is rightfully ours from the opening round. One time I knew, score be damned, we would vanquish our rival and silence our critics. It was like watching an early Tyson fight - one of the few that went past the first round. They were still up for a while, trying to make a go of it, but that one shot in the opening seconds took all the fight out of them.

I'm of course talking about the January 16th, 2010 playoff game in Foxboro. As soon as David Harris intercepted the untouchable Mr. Brady and returned it 58 yards, I knew the game was over. I remember my wife coming home from her mother's at the end of the first quarter. I was downright giddy - like a little kid on Christmas morning. She commented that things must be going pretty well for the Jets for me to be so excited. After settling in and watching for a minute, a look of confusion crossed her face - "you do know the Jets are losing? It's 3-0." I informed her this was just a technicality due to our kicker's inability to hit the broad side of a barn from 30 yards, but equally inexplicable tendency to drill kicks from 50 yards. I knew we were going to win, there was never any doubt. I want that feeling back. Too often over the past few years, I've spent the first three plus quarters on the edge of my seat, heart pounding, knuckles white, while my wife tries to prevent me from throwing beer bottles at the television set. I've considered asking a doctor for a gameday Xanax prescription based solely on the diagnosis that I'm a New York Jets fan. But that one Sunday afternoon in January I knew. I want that feeling back...