Plenty of people were expecting a circus out of the Jets this season.
They got one in Week One against the Bills, it just wasn't the one they were expecting. Rather than being three rings of absurdity, the Jets' opener turned out to be a real circus with entertainment coming everywhere you look.
Over there it's Jeremy Kerley catching an 11-yard touchdown from Mark Sanchez to end the Jets' regular season touchdown drought well ahead of the 13 quarters it took them to get six in the preseason. Next up was a Kyle Wilson interception and rookie Stephen Hill scoring on a 33-yard bomb from Mark Sanchez.
Hill would return after halftime with another score, right after he and Sanchez hooked up on a 27-yard flea flicker. Offensive coordinator Tony Sparano promised that the Jets had left something in reserve for the regular season, a promise he kept on Sunday.
In between was a Kerley punt return for a touchdown, a smashing debut for LaRon Landry at safety and Antonio Cromartie mugging Ryan Fitzpatrick for the third time. Cromartie went 40 yards for a touchdown there and the Jets were well on their way to a rout.
The Bills rallied from 41-7 down to close within 13, but Tim Tebow fell on an onside kick and the Jets added a Shonn Greene touchdown to make the final 48-28. That doesn't mar what came before nearly as much as Darrelle Revis' injury.
Revis got kicked in the head by Bart Scott as they tried to make a tackle and left the game with a head injury in the fourth quarter. Revis is too important for the Jets to lose for any significant amount of time, which makes the result of his tests as important as the result of the game.
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To say that it was a shocking result is to pay short shrift to the entire idea of shocking results. The Jets were predicted to fall flat on their faces like their shoelaces were tied together at lunch by the local bully.
The most suprising thing of all might have been Sanchez's performance. Tim Tebow, whose role was the focal point of everything in the entire world this summer (or so it felt), was a non-factor even though it seemed like the Jets had other ideas early in the game.
Tebow started as a wide receiver and got some snaps in modified Wildcat looks, but didn't do much other than hand off and run some draws. We'd imagine there's more in the playbook and the Jets reeled it in when there was no reason to do anything but show up and blast the Bills on Sunday.
There were even boos when he replaced Sanchez in the red zone in the first half, although they were directed at the idea of replacing Sanchez when he was rolling. Sanchez finished the day 19-of-27 for 266 yards and one interception, an ill-fated shovel pass that caromed off of Jeff Cumberland for an easy Buffalo pick.
Sanchez made every throw he needed to make on Sunday, eliminating the need for any quarterback machinations. First game caveats apply, especially with the Bills looking dreadful on offense outside of a few big C.J. Spiller runs, but it appears Sanchez isn't quite as rattled by Tebow's presence as some have thought.
Rex Ryan should have himself a good time this week. He vowed the Jets were better than they looked in the preseason.
For one day, he's been proven totally correct.
