In the dreary, decades-long history of the New York Jets, Monday night’s game was supposed to be a turning point: Aaron Rodgers, a surefire Hall of Fame quarterback, was set to take the field surrounded by All-Pro talent.
For fans of the team, which has long seemed cursed, hopes had perhaps never been higher. The Jets — and Rodgers in particular — were the stars of HBO’s documentary series “Hard Knocks” during training camp, amping up the excitement around the team to something approaching hysteria. This was supposed to be the year that the Jets finally broke through; even the Super Bowl seemed within reach.