Thursday, October 1, 2026
Although Ashley Cannon attended her friend’s wedding last Sunday with her boyfriend, the die-hard Jets fan could not keep herself from regularly keeping tabs on what was arguably one of the most anticipated divisional playoff games against the No. 1-seeded New England Patriots.
“We were watching updates on our phone,” said the 25-year-old Long Beach resident, who works at the Inn. “We weren’t the only ones — every time the Jets did something good, people started cheering during the cocktail hour.”
Needless to say, there was a lot of cheering going on last Sunday, as fans rejoiced when Gang Green defeated the Patriots, following weeks of heated trash talk leading up to a game between two of the biggest rivals in the AFC East. Bars and restaurants in Long Beach were teeming with Jets fans and spectators who watched second-year quarterback Mark Sanchez dominate the Patriots’ Tom Brady and throw three touchdown passes — including a mesmerizing seven-yard pass to Santonio Holmes — to clinch a 28-21 victory over the Patriots.
“People went berserk,” said Bob Johnson, owner of the Cabana, which was packed with fans. “Everybody seemed to be waiting for a Patriot comeback and people were a little hesitant to get excited. But then the Jets broke with a late play and everyone went nuts.”
Last Sunday’s win advanced the sixth-seeded Jets to a second consecutive AFC Championship Game, and many fans said they have a good chance of making it to the Super Bowl if they defeat the no. 2-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday.
“We passed by the Inn after the wedding and people were still pretty pumped up about [the win],” Cannon said on Monday. “We won our Super Bowl yesterday. Of course, we would love to see them go all the way, but I’m sure the majority of Jets fans would be content with just defeating the Patriots alone.”
West End bars like the Inn and the Cabana were bustling with fans who turned out in droves to watch Brady, the league’s likely MVP, get sacked by the Jets five times while Sanchez, playing under Coach Rex Ryan’s dynamic game plan, performed like a seasoned player, fans said.
