The feeling around around the Jets this year is that they have the perfect amount of young talent, mixed with a veteran presence to make them a competitive football team. Playoff aspirations perhaps if everything goes well. But this is the same narrative I’ve been hearing my entire life when it comes to the Jets, and I’ll believe it when I see it. I will admit the ceiling this year is higher than it has been in past years, but I am skeptical they will reach it. After taking a quick look at their schedule this was my gut reaction:
Now lets take a look at the 2019 Jets:
The Good
Sam Darnold
This team starts and stops with Darnold. Young quarterbacks will often make a big leap going from year 1 to 2, and if Darnold can make that leap, this team certainly has some promise heading into the 2019 season. His ending to last season is what’s giving fans hope. According to Pro Football Focus grades, Darnold’s 91.3 grade in weeks 14-16 was the highest in the entire NFL during that span. I will get to the downsides later, but he showed the potential that made him the third overall pick in the 2018 draft, and if he can continue to build on that, the Jets may have found their latest franchise QB since the GOAT Mark Sanchez. Training camp reports on Darnold have all been glowing, highlighted by his 13-15, 2-touchdowns in two drives performance…against the 2nd team defense. There has even been talk that his arm has gotten stronger, so we will see if this is all coach speak, or if he is actually a new and improved QB.
Le’Veon Bell
Off-field issues and contract disputes aside, Bell is an extremely talented football player, and gives the Jets a playmaker they have been severely lacking for YEARS. There are loads of question marks with Bell, considering his last NFL regular season game was Christmas Day of 2017! Other questions include if he will be used all over the field, or strictly out of the backfield, and how many touches are the Jets willing to give him. Adam Gase doesn’t have a great track record of utilizing his top running back, and there are rumors he didn’t want to sign Bell in the first place. Despite all of the questions surrounding Le’Veon, this addition is unquestionably an upgrade, and I’m excited to see his first game action in green and white.
Young Defensive Core
Depth will likely be an issue, but it’s hard not to get excited thinking about the young stars that the Jets have on the defensive side of the ball. Two potential studs along the defensive line with Leonard and Quinnen Williams, playing behind them is 4x Pro Bowler CJ Mosley and Avery Williamson, with Pro Bowler Jamal Adams and Trumaine Johnson on the back end. All of these players are 27 or younger, with the exception of Johnson who is 29. The Jets seem to always have a strong defense, and that seems no different for this year and years to come.
The Bad
Sam Darnold
While Darnold did show his potential to be great, he did not do much to put to rest the concerns he had coming out of college. A subpar 57.7 completion percentage, paired with 20 turnovers (15 INT/5 FMB), and a propensity to hold onto the ball too long as he stares down his first option, and we have major concerns. This is my opinion, but Darnold just does not pass the eye test to me. I watched every game last year, and he just didn’t do enough to make me a long term believer. When I watched Baker Mayfield, I immediately felt like he was a franchise QB. Watching Darnold, Josh Rosen, and Josh Allen all felt like watching guys that will not have extended and successful careers. I like Darnold the most of that group, but he has a very Mitch Trubisky-esque still have to wait and see, but don’t feel good vibe. I could easily be wrong and Darnold could shove my opinion directly down my throat by week 5 this year, but that’s how I feel heading into the season. And like I said earlier, this team starts and stops with Darnold.
Playmakers on Offense
In 2015, Brandon Marshall made the Pro Bowl, and Chris Ivory made it as a replacement (doesn’t really count). Thomas Jones made the Pro Bowl in 2008. That is the complete list of Jets offensive skill position players that have made the Pro Bowl in the last 15 years. While that is due in part to the team being terrible, it also highlights the lack of explosive players the Jets have had on the roster over the last decade. Adding Le’Veon Bell helps that, but who else do they have? Robbie Anderson?? The guy has one skill, and even though he’s really good at it, only being able to run directly in a straight line is not what I would classify as a playmaker. Chris Herndon? He has some talent…he’s also suspended the first four games of the season. Jamison Crowder? The fact that he is the next guy I have to point to is sad. He’s not a playmaker and is never healthy. I guess you can give Le’Veon the ball every play, but this team is going to struggle to move the ball a lot this year.
Edge Rusher/Cornerback
Quinnen Williams was the right pick, and I think he will be a star, but there is still the same gaping hole at edge rusher that has been there for years. The Jets 39 sacks last year was right in the middle of the pack, but they desperately need an edge presence that demands a double team in order to free other guys up. Cornerback depth is another huge hole, with Trumaine Johnson being the only guy who inspires any sort of confidence. And even he is coming off an extremely down year where he was constantly getting beat. With the NFL turning to an air raid offense, lacking guys who can rush the passer, as well as guys who can cover down the field might be a problem. To quote my friend Pepper Brooks, “It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for ‘em.”
The Ugly
Front Office/Coaching Changes
What the hell happened this offseason? Here is the time line of events that transpired:
- 12/30 Todd Bowles fired
- 1/11 Adam Gase hired
- 3/12-3/13 CJ Mosley and Le’veon Bell signed
- 4/27 NFL Draft
- 5/27 GM Mike Maccagnan fired
- 6/7 GM Joe Douglas hired
That more closely resembles a matching column on a third grade test where the order of all the answers is completely jumbled, rather than an offseason for a competent organization. Todd Bowles had to go, he brought nothing to the table. But the solution was hiring Adam Gase??? A guy with a 23-25 record in this exact same division! Whatever, Peyton Manning said he was cool, so moving on.
Maccagnan should have been fired along with Bowles, and then you pair a head coach with a new GM and start from scratch, it is the most basic logic of all time. But why do that when you can let Maccagnan hire Gase, spend over $190 million in free agency, and make your draft picks in arguably the most crucial offseason for your franchise in 10 years. Then somehow, after being hired by Maccagnan, Gase was able to undermine him, get him fired and gain control of interim GM duties. Now the guy who was hired 5 minutes ago, and whose eyeballs look like they’re about to fall out of his head in every press conference, has complete control of your organization. Perfect!
Apparently Douglas is a good hire, that remains to be seen because all of the important offseason decision were made before he showed up. The Jets took the most roundabout/Jets way possible, but they did get to the fresh start of a new coach and GM pairing. Now time to watch it completely implode because, well it’s the Jets.
Offensive Line
Back to the on the field stuff, the Jets offensive line is atrocious. They traded for Kelechi Osemele, who was hurt and had a down year last year, but also was an All-Pro in 2016. They also brought in Ryan Kalil, who is 34 and last had an All-Pro year in 2015 to pair with a bunch of meh on the rest of the offensive line. I’m no offensive line guru, but I have feeling Le’veon Bell will be in for a rude awakening running behind this offensive line compared to Pittsburgh.
Taking the Next Step
The Jets have been in rebuilding mode ever since the butt fumble. It hasn’t been perfect, but you have an up and coming quarterback, you made some good offseason additions, and made mostly smart draft picks. Can the Adam Gase/Sam Darnold pairing actually work? I’m skeptical, but the possibility is on the table. If you’re a believer that this is the year the Jets go from rebuilding mode to playoff contender, well you just haven’t been a Jets fan for long enough.
Over/Under 7.5 Wins: Under
Even as a Jets fan, I don’t see this team winning 8+ games. Unless Darnold comes out setting the world on fire in his second year, this team is destined for 6 or 7 wins. The lack of talent at the skill positions on the offensive side, along with a bad offensive line and a young QB does not sound like a recipe for success. The defense, while talented, does not have talent at the positions that actually matter in today’s NFL. Mark my words, the Jets won’t allow anyone to run the ball up the middle this year. Mostly because teams simply don’t anymore, and opposing QBs will have all day to throw and guys running wide open all over the field. I stand by my prediction from the beginning of the blog:
6-10
The Jackpot 