FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- There was so much optimism in the New York Jets' locker room that wintry afternoon in New England -- the final game of the 2023 regular season. With one win, they vanquished an old bully and celebrated their future.
It was a messy year for the Jets, who stumbled to 7-10 after Aaron Rodgers' season-ending injury in Week 1, but they ended a 15-game losing streak to the New England Patriots in Bill Belichick's last game as coach. After two decades of hoodie-induced torment, the Jets felt as if they had finally passed the Patriots, who finished last in the AFC East.