Only Sean Payton, Broncos stand in way of Jets’ best start since 2015

The Jets have won two games in a row, and suddenly everyone is talking about how good this team could possibly be. 

It has been a while since that has happened around here, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers said this week the Jets will be tested by how they handle a little prosperity. 

“Everyone’s going to start [praising] us,” Rodgers said. “I go back to this quote a lot, but Mike McCarthy said, ‘Our biggest struggle is going to be handling success,’ back in 2006 in Green Bay, and there’s a lot to that.” 

The 2-1 Jets will see how they are handling success Sunday afternoon when they face the 1-2 Broncos at MetLife Stadium.

Denver pulled off a shocker last week against the Buccaneers, and now Sean Payton and Co. will try to pull off their second straight upset. 

For years, the Jets have tried to rally against their critics.

But now Rodgers said they must find ways to come together despite hearing how good they are. 

“I think, you know, it’s easier when you’re kind of getting kicked in the teeth to kind of come together, ‘It’s us against the world. It’s us against the big bad media whose saying how bad we are,’ ” Rodgers said. “We can kind of come together, but can you still come together and have the same approach when everybody’s kind of starting to sing your praises a little bit. I think that’s the mark of a great team, just can you handle the success part, with the same focus, the same mentality, the same mindset, the same energy, when you’re starting to get on a little bit of a roll.” 

The Jets could start the season 3-1 for the first time since 2015.

This would be the first time the team is at least two games over. 500 since late in the 2022 season before losing six straight games to end the season. 

Coach Robert Saleh said the struggles of recent years should keep this team from getting too high on itself. 

“You just got to recall the last few years, and like I said, it’s owning our moments,” Saleh said. “Euphoria and disaster, is that Bill’s [Parcells] quote? It’s play-to-play around here, so it’s just stay focused in the moment, do the best you can, ignore the noise because noise is always going to be extreme. You never want to overreact.

“You want to properly react, and whether you win or lose.”