Although the sports industry is huge and there are thousands of sports all over the world, it is quite clear that some sports are more popular than others in terms of both their viewership and how many people play it. One sport that has captivated the heart and attention of millions is American football with the NFL, which stands for the National Football League, being the biggest and persistent professional football league in the United States.
In 2022, this trend is no different to previous years as the 2022 NFL season (which is the 103rd season) is already attracting significant attention after beginning on September 8, 2022. The NFL is also not just a league that is exclusively for Americans or those living in America. In fact, the popularity of the NFL is even more widespread nowadays as places outside the UK such as London is now home to a few NFL games as part of the tour.
Firstly, there are 32 NFL teams this year with many people tuning in to see whether or not their favorites will win. Moreover, now fans of the NFL can even opt to place bets on the NFL to make their experience even more exciting. This includes fans outside the US, with many gambling providers in the UK and other countries offering NFL tailored bets.
With the NFL already underway, one team that you can bet on is the New York Jets who are a professional American football team from New York who have already participated in a few games. The Jets are hoping to gain success with their head coach Robert Saleh and after three first-round picks this year where the Jets took CB Ahmad Gardner (Cincinnati), wide receiver Garrett Wilson (Ohio State) and DE Jermaine Johnson (Florida State).
In their early season the New York Jets kicked off their NFL season by playing the Ravens on the 11th of September 2022. This game did not result in victory for the Jets as the Ravens defence were able to keep the Jets out of the end zone for nearly the entirety of the game resulting in the score ending up as 24-9 in favor of the Ravens. This result signified the 10th time that the Jets have lost against the Baltimore Ravens and they have only won twice. Although there were many instances during the game when the New York Jets seemed promising, the hope for victory diminished during the latter half of the game when the team appeared to lose its momentum.
In Week Two, the Jets played Browns which resulted in a score of 30-17 and an astounding comeback for the Jets. The Jets certainly recovered after being defeated by the Ravens in Week One. They produced one of the most thrilling endings in NFL history.
This was made possible when Cade York – kicker for the Browns team – missed the extra point which allowed Joe Flacco – quarterback for the Jets – to hit Corey Davis thus attaining a 66-yard score. This match was an incredible win for the New York Jets who became the first team since 2001 to bounce back from a 13-point deficit in the remaining two minutes.
In Week Three, with viewers eager to see whether the New York Jets would build a their winning streak, the team took on Bengals. The game ended up with no major discrepancies between the scores of each team with a score of 27-12 in favour of Bengals. This was largely due to the moves of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow who was able to communicate well with his team and pass to the wide receivers on his team. Although this game did not result in victory for the New York Jets, there were many memorable moments for the team as Zuerlein became the first kicker in franchise history to hit three 50-yarders in back-to-back games.
In the fourth game played by the New York Jets, they competed against the Steelers. Although the game got off to a slow start, the game changed dramatically late in the first half with the Jets up 10-3. In Week Five, the New York Jets secured a victory against the Dolphins with a finishing score of 40-17, which they then followed by beating the Packers in Week Six.
During this game, the Jets found themselves ahead of their opponents by many points. The upcoming game for the New York Jets are is in Week 7 on the 23rd of October at the Broncos and it should be interesting to see how they will continue to perform. So far, the New York Jets have performed well however it is still up for debate whether they will be in the running to win the Super Bowl like they did in 1969.
In summary, the NFL continues to attract millions every year when 32 teams come together to battle it out over a season. Over the years, and especially in the past decade or so, the New York Jets, who are playing in this year’s NFL season, have acquired the reputation of having incredibly bad luck. However, the New York Jets seem to be beating everyone’s expectations and are already off to a good start. Having already played five games in the season and more to come, the New York Jets are set to achieve even more positive results in the near future.