COMMENTARY: The Rivalry

[CedarPhin]

Excellent writeup Matt!

[fin-atic]

Sure you could choose to look at it that way. You could also decide that every year if we dont win a Super Bowl that the season is a failure. I think I choose to believe that our expectations are rewarded. My expectations going into this season were far less than what we have already accomplished. Additionally, we are laying a foundation that will serve the team for years to come. We have already aoverachieved for it being only year one. Nothing can take that away. Look the Jets have more talent and are much further along in the rebuilding process than we are. They are at home and by all math they should beat us on Sunday. If they do you or anyone should not be disappointed. We have made the first step to respectability. Another offseason, draft etc. and we will be even better. Then the expectatiosn go up and then we should be disappointed if we don't do better. Our team has some problems that are real. The defensive line is weak (no pass rush) and we give up tons of yardage. The secondary is hot and cold. The receivers are pedestrian. BUT as a team they are finding ways to win. That gives us hope and it gives us a chance. And we do have a real legitimate chance to win. If we don't pull it off then this season was still way more than anyone expected and we should be proud. I don't think its fair to put unrealistic expectations out there just because we have improved. A win would be great. But you know what...we can lose and still feel great about where we are now and what the future holds compared to the past seven years.

Matt - great article, thanks. So many great points to get us even more pumped for Sunday. I just have one disagreement and it's more a generalization based on what seems like the overriding sentiment in some of the posts than it is picking out one sentence...Again, great job but I just want to throw this out there.

In my opinion, the idea that we having nothing to lose could not be farther from the truth. I just don't get how some of us can truly believe that. We all understand how AMAZING and unlikely this year has been and what we've been through the last few years, last year especially makes us all overly grateful. Heck, my life has been so much better this fall and winter - it feels so good to be playing meaningful games and have that anticipation all week we haven't felt in so long. I have been saying my own thank you to the team and Coach Sparano and the staff/FO with each passing week. I can go on and on about this season forever and everyone here can relate. But now is not the time for that. We can all reflect a week or so after this thing ends.

I believe we have PLENTY to lose. We are not here for second place. This is the type of game that contributes to changing the of a franchise and something that is there to be had and must be taken advantage of. Understanding how great the season has been, if it ends Sunday I will be as miserable as I was for the few weeks after the Pats debacle 6 years ago. If there was nothing to lose, then why will half of us be watching the game nervous as we've been for any other game we have watched? Why cannot we not concentrate on anything this week for any amount of time before our mind shifts to Sunday?

This season will forever be one of the most memorable one's we will ever have. Even so, I can't help thinking that if we lose it is what I will immediately think of every time we are mentioned in the media as one of the greatest one year turnarounds ever.

As an analogy - I am Yankees fan and every time I see the two unbelievable endings in the DBacks series in 2001 I get chills, especially when I see Brosius immediately throw up his arms after he makes contact. But inevitably, my thoughts turn to the 9th inning of game 7 and it kinda sucks.

I can't bear the thought of the Jets ending this, itmakes me sick. Let's go get this game and then see what happens in the playoffs. Then we can reflect and praise and enjoy what's going to be a fun and optimistic off-season.

[PassRush]

Mr. Kent, excelent write up, as always. The Fins have come a long way since that training camp we went to back in 2005. Remember how excited every fin fan was that season? With good reason, we went 9-5 our first season under Saban, then of course we all remember what happened after the next season. The fans of this team have been through so much the better part of the last decade; I think we deserve this as much as the players and coaches themselfs. We will beat the Jets this sunday, and I will be first in line to set aside 20$ from my humble paycheck for a Division Champion t-shirt.

[Finnick2]

Sure you could choose to look at it that way. You could also decide that every year if we dont win a Super Bowl that the season is a failure. I think I choose to believe that our expectations are rewarded. My expectations going into this season were far less than what we have already accomplished. Additionally, we are laying a foundation that will serve the team for years to come. We have already aoverachieved for it being only year one. Nothing can take that away. Look the Jets have more talent and are much further along in the rebuilding process than we are. They are at home and by all math they should beat us on Sunday. If they do you or anyone should not be disappointed. We have made the first step to respectability. Another offseason, draft etc. and we will be even better. Then the expectatiosn go up and then we should be disappointed if we don't do better. Our team has some problems that are real. The defensive line is weak (no pass rush) and we give up tons of yardage. The secondary is hot and cold. The receivers are pedestrian. BUT as a team they are finding ways to win. That gives us hope and it gives us a chance. And we do have a real legitimate chance to win. If we don't pull it off then this season was still way more than anyone expected and we should be proud. I don't think its fair to put unrealistic expectations out there just because we have improved. A win would be great. But you know what...we can lose and still feel great about where we are now and what the future holds compared to the past seven years.

Totally agree - exceeded our wildest expectations. I honestly thought 8-8, 9-7 if things broke right but I'd be ok with 6-10 coming in. Just saying I will be extremely disappointed and I do think we have something to lose giving the circumstances, but obviously I am proud and grateful for what we've gotten already

[DauntesInferno]

thanks a lot. couldn't have said it better

[MIAMI_GUNNZZ]

i did(shed a tear). years of frustration coming out.