We know this isn't going to be an overnight success story.
But the Jets are coming.
When I first came into the league, we had a lot of Jets Legends on the team, a lot of guys that had already been well established — the David Harrises and the Nick Mangolds of the world.
Now, we have a younger core. But more than that, we're family. It's a close-knit group, which builds trust and allows us to play faster on Sundays. I know the guys have my back and I have theirs.
You may say we're inexperienced, but age has no impact on being great. When you want to be something remembered, something historic and legendary, it's not going to happen in one day. You'd like for that and you intend for that, but just know we're all trying to make it happen as soon as possible. It's about how much you put in and how much you sacrifice.
Like anything else, sometimes you need a bit of luck, but we're closer than people think. A couple plays here or there that would've gone our way and we'd have a totally different record, a completely different narrative. But such is life in the NFL.
The adversity we're facing now makes us fall in love with the process and it'll make it that much sweeter once we turn the corner. If anything, you become closer as a team in times like these. While I said it's not an overnight process, don't blink because the page will turn in an instant. It'll seem so sudden and it'll be a result of the tests we're going through now as a team.
Everyone here has bought in. There's not a single person that hasn't bought into the culture that we have and are brewing here. That's huge. That's how you chip away one day at a time.
Personally, I know I've had my best year yet, but I'm not satisfied whatsoever. I still have a lot of work to do. I want to be on the horizon to break and set records like lead the NFL in interceptions. I don't think an inside linebacker has ever done that before.
At the same time, I just want to make as many plays as I possibly can to help our team win games. I have to kick it up another notch because right now, I'm not doing enough. I know what I'm capable of. My goal is to become the best linebacker in in this league. Period. I know I'm very capable of making that a reality. I still have work to do, but I'm closer than most people think, and I'm just going to keep chipping away.
But for us, as a team, playoffs are on the horizon. Our goal here is to win a Super Bowl and you have to get to the playoffs first. We're not where we want to be, but we have two opportunities to go into the bye at .500, which is perfect. I'm not saying it's ideally where you want to be, but it could be worse.
Whatever happens after Week 17, appreciate the growth of this team because we're actually a team. We fight for each other regardless of what the scoreboard says. If you believe in it, it'll become habit. Before you know it, it's a reality.
Remember: The Jets are coming.
