The New York Jets don’t just need improvement. They need a comeback, and not the casual kind either. Not the “win two more games and call it progress” variety.
This franchise is trying to climb out of the NFL’s longest active playoff drought after a three-win season that often felt hopeless before halftime.
That’s what makes offensive coordinator Frank Reich’s hiring feel strangely appropriate. If football history has taught us anything, it’s this: Reich has made a career out of surviving situations that looked completely dead.
The continuing story of a comeback artist
Long before heading to New York, Reich authored one of college football’s most ridiculous turnarounds. While playing for the Maryland Terrapins football program in 1984, he entered a game against the Miami Hurricanes after halftime with his team trailing 31-0. He rallied the troops, and Maryland eventually won 42-40 after outscoring Miami 42-9 in the second half.
That alone can help cement a legacy, but he wasn’t done. Then came the NFL. In January of 1993, Reich stepped in for an injured Jim Kelly during a playoff game for the Buffalo Bills. They trailed 35-3.
Again, he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as Buffalo won 41-38 in overtime. To this day, it remains one of the greatest comebacks football has ever seen.
This Jets challenge looks different, but the desperation feels familiar. Gang Green aren’t asking Reich to save one game. They’re asking him to help stabilize an entire franchise.
Reich is looking forward to his opportunity, as he believes the Jets have a chance to “do something special” in the future:
Reich’s role alongside head coach Aaron Glenn becomes pivotal because this offense desperately needs structure, identity, and confidence. This comeback, if he can help the Jets pull it off, will certainly be his best ever. This would be his masterpiece.
The Jets need belief, something the fans have always shown. Hopefully, this time, it’s rewarded. Frank Reich has already led football teams back from the brink before.
Now, he’s trying to do it again. Only this time, the deficit spans an entire decade.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Jets betting on comeback king Frank Reich to help revive the franchise
Reporting by Geoffrey A Knox, Jets Wire / Jets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
