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| Photo from newjerseyhills.com |
2011 Record: 6-10
Key Acquisitions: OL Willie Colon, RB Mike Goodson, RB Chris Ivory, S Dawan Landry, CB Dee Milliner, DL Sheldon Richardson, QB Geno Smith, TE Kellen Winslow, G Brian Winters
Key Departures: DL Mike DeVito, RB Shonn Greene, TE Dustin Keller, S LaRon Landry, G Brandon Moore, DT Sione Pouha, CB Darrelle Revis, LB Bart Scott, G Matt Slauson, "PROFESSIONAL WINNER" Tim Tebow (thank God he's gone), DE/OLB Bryan Thomas
Well, it's that time again, for my damned Jets to take the field again. I've already written once about how it feels to be a Jets fan in 2013, and let's just say it's not fun.This team is not going to be very good, but somehow they're going to stay in the national spotlight for the whole season despite being worthless. I actually think Rex Ryan is a very good coach, because now it seems that Mark Sanchez is putrid, which means that Ryan took a putrid QB to the AFC Championship Game twice. It's not his fault that Mike Tannenbaum did not even try to make it look like he cared about keeping the roster together past the year 2012. And well, look what happened. Anyway, Ryan is going to be fired at the end of this year, and frankly, I don't think he cares. Teams are going to be lining up to lure him to be their head coach in some cases, or if he wants to join a winner, say the Green Bay Packers, he can catch on as their defensive coordinator. It will be a mistake if the Jets let Ryan go, but it's going to happen. Oh well, you can't win every battle. Speaking of which, let's talk about the team that won't win many battles. At all.
Offense
The QB situation isn't much to talk about here. Geno Smith should be the starter, and I don't think he's going to be all that great this year. He's a rookie, he's going to go through a lot of struggles, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'm interested in seeing how he performs this year, but don't expect too much. The advanced defensive schemes might be too much for him to handle, and his complete lack of weapons will hinder him. The best hope is that he gradually gets better as the year goes along, and figures out what he needs to improve upon for the next year. If Smith ends up being flat out horrible, or if he gets hurt. I do think that Matt Simms has some potential. As for Mark Sanchez, he's going to be a total non-factor. Even if Smith gets hurt I doubt Sanchez is getting a chance to start. The team knows it's not going to work out with him. He's pretty much going to be the fourth guy on the depth chart. Fourth? What happened to third? Brady Quinn happened.
(Rolling my eyes)
Let's move on.
As for the running backs, nothing here inspires me that much. Chris Ivory has some talent but injuries have been a major issue since he's come into the league. I don't know what to make of him, maybe he won't even be good when healthy. Bilal Powell is nothing special. The most intriguing player here is Mike Goodson. Once he comes back from suspension, he might finally realize his potential that people have been speaking of for years.
Not that I think Kellen Winslow has that much left in the tank, but I think he's going to be a crucial part of this offense. Geno Smith is going to need a security blanket to throw short check down passes to, and the tight end is usually the one to fill that role. Konrad Reuland may develop into a decent guy.
As for the offensive line, the most important player is Brian Winters. As we've seen in the past, most notably Wayne Hunter, one weak link on an offensive line can cause the whole line to look awful. Third round pick Winters looked decent this preseason, so if he can continue this success in the regular season, he will make Geno Smith's life a lot easier.
Defense
I really like this defensive line. Mo Wilkerson developed into a really good run defender last year, one of the best at his position. He needs to work a little more on his pass rushing, which would turn him into an elite player, but I like him as it is. That's because Sheldon Richardson will be really good in both pass and run defense this year, no matter where he plays, on the interior or on the edge. Kenrick Ellis is also a pretty good run defender. I've enjoyed Leger Douzable this preseason, he has a high motor and was almost always near the quarterback.
Quinton Coples is going to see some time with his hand on the ground and playing as a rush linebacker, and either way he should do a pretty nice job at getting to the QB. The best part is that all of these guys are pretty young, meaning that at least the front of this defense will be interesting for years to come.
David Harris used to be a great linebacker, but his play has significantly dropped off recently. I don't know what to make of him coming into this year. Demario Davis is a young player who should improve, I guess. There's really nothing else of note here. God this is painful.
With Darrelle Revis gone, the Jets decided to take his heir apparent in the first round in Dee Milliner. I like his tools, and time will tell if he's a good NFL player or not, but I think he will be. Obviously he will not be the historically great Revis, but I think he can be a really good #1 corner. For now, he only has to focus on the second best receiver on each team because Antonio Cromartie has been really good. He stepped up nicely when Revis went down. They will form a pretty nice 1-2 punch.
Other than that, the secondary is completely average. Kyle Wilson is in my doghouse, and this is his last chance. Isaiah Trufant and Darrin Walls have some potential, but I don't know if they're going to do much this year. Safety Antonio Allen is terrible, and he's going to soon lose his job to Jaiquawn Jarrett (I still can't spell his first name). Dawan Landry is a pretty good safety, but again, nothing special.
Special Teams
They stupidly cut Dan Carpenter and allowed Nick Folk to keep swinging his inconsistent leg around New York this year. Whatever. Robert Malone is a punter. Well, that's pretty much all my analysis, he was the definition of average last year. An average punter, could there be a less interesting player in the NFL?
Jeremy Kerley is a pretty nice punt returner, and now that Joe McKnight is gone, it seems that Clyde Gates will be the one returning kicks. He's really fast, so I'll be interesting in seeing what he can do.
Verdict
Look, the defense is fine. They will be fine at worst, and if everything breaks well, they may creep up into the top 7-10 in the league. That's cool and all, but where are the points coming from? Other than Cromartie pick 6s, Kerley punt returns, and causing safties, I don't understand how this team will score. They face the Raiders at home on December 8, which is the second time in my life they've played the Raiders on the week of my birthday, the first time in 2005. The starters? Brooks Bollinger for the Jets and Marques Tuiasosopo for Oakland. Worst part, I went to that game. Guess what? We're back to that point, they both stink. (To be fair, due to injuries, the Jets played 5 different QBs in that awful 2005 season). That's a win, and Buffalo will hand them a game at home. I see them scrapping out at most four other games throughout the season, but even that is wishful thinking.
4-12, 3rd in the AFC East
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