The Jets are learning different ways to get the job done.
After an 0-7 start that included 5 one-score losses, the Jets have flipped the script since Week 8. Sunday's victory over the Atlanta Falcons marked the team's third victory in the last five games, and notably, each margin of victory has not exceeded 7 points.
"Majority of NFL games are going to be one-score football games," DT Harrison Phillips said Monday. "You have to build a team who can win and find ways to win -- different ways -- each week. Whatever that game dictates for us."
RG John Simpson, who said the Jets "were right there" in many of those early-season losses, stressed that the most important thing has been learning how to finish. The Jets put together a 23-point fourth-quarter surge in Cincinnati to earn their first victory, and the team made key stops late in Week 10 to preserve a 27-20 lead over Cleveland. On Sunday at MetLife Stadium, Nick Folk nailed a 56-yard game-winning FG to secure a 3-point victory over the Falcons.
"We are playing better together as a team," Simpson said of the last 5 games. "I feel like it's all coming together now. It took some time, and a little longer than we all probably wanted it to, but I think we're all gelling now. And we are playing together better collectively."
HC Aaron Glenn has spoken throughout the season about building mental toughness and shared Monday that he was "happy about how the guys gutted this win out." And Phillips, who said winning "reinforces all the work that you're doing is towards something," stressed that securing the team's three hard-fought victories would not have been possible without the early-season struggles.
"I look back at those games and am very thankful for the mental toughness that had to develop in our team," Phillips said. "And the core players of this team who are going to be part of it for the years to come, [it's important] to have a season of growth like that you have to go through, battle through and can reflect back on."
Glenn, who said he learned about how to sustain winning during his time spent in New Orleans, said securing victories now is always the priority. But as he continues to build a foundation with several young players who are still learning the ins and outs of the league, he believes gaining winning experience is also a critical piece of a long-term vision.
"I keep saying there's no quit in these guys," Glenn said following Sunday's win. "These guys understand exactly what we're trying to build. And listen, even though we have this long-range vision of what we're trying to get to, the now is what's important for our guys to continue to understand how you win games."
