Though there is more Hard Knocks to come, the first 4 weeks have left a strong impression. After 4 weeks of the show, a couple things have been made clear:
- Rex Ryan loves John Connor and his “Terminator” nickname more than grabbing grub at Taco Bell with Nick Mangold.
- Santonio Holmes was a top receiver playing with a QB whose idea of a good play requires 10 seconds of running around. Now, in a more crisp offensive system, Holmes is primed to be the number 1 receiver on the team. Even more so than Braylon Edwards or *GASP* Dustin Keller (for whom I would fight a lion, tiger, and liger all at the same time to keep him a Jet for life). That is, once he returns from his mandatory 4-week vacation/training period.
- With so much focus on the goal of a Super Bowl, building confidence, and trash talking, it is no surprise that the Jets are becoming a target around the league. I am all for swagger. However, if it begins to build cockiness and laziness in the players, it will be more detrimental than beneficial. Players such as Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Jason Taylor and Antonio Cromartie — the newer players — will determine much of both the public opinion of the Jets and the success the team has on the field.
