For one night time a minimum of, MetLife Stadium really was JetLife Stadium.
All the pieces was the alternative of the way it’s been in recent times.
Often the epicenter of Jets letdown and torment, followers inside MetLife as an alternative have been filled with optimism for the house opener.
Typically anticipating the worst and ready for catastrophe, that they had goals — and real expectations — of success regardless of dealing with their longtime nemesis within the Patriots, who’ve owned the Jets for a era.
There was a brash, pompous aura within the crowd, as if that they had been the bullies within the relationship all these years.
The pyrotechnics, the booming J-E-T-S chants, the sense of anticipation, the idea within the quarterback — none of it had been that emphatic since, nicely, final yr’s dwelling opener.
However this time round, the environment solely grew extra raucous after kickoff as the sport went on.
For the primary time in almost a decade, the Jets had an precise home-field benefit.
“We performed violent, we performed with nice pressure and energy,” head coach Robert Saleh mentioned Friday. “We simply felt like we had a whole lot of juice to us. Clearly, it was a house opener, so it helped.”
For therefore lengthy, it usually labored in reverse. As a substitute of serving to, it was poisonous between followers within the stands and gamers on the sphere.
Boos closely outweighed any cheers or chants — until they have been for a backup quarterback to switch Zach Wilson, Sam Darnold or some other struggling signal-caller.
Followers wore paper luggage over their heads to indicate embarrassment, in the event that they even bothered displaying up in any respect. By the tip of most seasons, apathy took over.
Throughout the earlier 10 seasons earlier than the present one, the Jets owned a 32-50 document at dwelling, good for a paltry .390 % successful share.
It was a slight enchancment from their 23-58 (.284 %) document on the highway.
However going again to final yr, the Jets have now gained three straight video games at dwelling.
And so they keep at MetLife on Sunday, internet hosting the Broncos earlier than a technical dwelling recreation in London towards the Vikings after which coming proper again to MetLife towards the Payments in Week 6.
Can the Jets really make MetLife a fortress? They’ve an opportunity early within the season to set that tone.
“That comes with the followers, as nicely,” middle Joe Tippmann mentioned Monday. “We’re gonna preserve enjoying good soccer. For them to have the ability to be current, the followers accomplish that a lot after we’re on the market, with the ability to manipulate the sport with crowd noise.
“It brings about one other stage of confidence from the gamers. I feel it’s one thing we are able to do, we’ve got to maintain the identical mentality each time we take the sphere, particularly at MetLife.”
Aaron Rodgers after the sport acknowledged that Jets followers “have been tortured for a very long time” and that he’s “making an attempt to alter this complete perspective round right here.”
MetLife definitely felt reworked Thursday night time.
“It was the primary dwelling recreation, it was an evening recreation, it was ‘Thursday Evening Soccer,’ every little thing was simply superb,” linebacker Jamien Sherwood mentioned Monday. “Enjoying in entrance of the gang, we love the followers, we love our family and friends which are within the stadium as nicely.”