Here we go again, it’s time for another season of New York Jets football.
After last season’s surprising outcome, where the Jets went 8-8, Rex Ryan managed to keep his job and receive a three-year extension.
This season should be interesting. Quarterback Geno Smith looks a lot more comfortable in his second season as the team’s starter. This is in large part due to the acquisitions of running back Chris Johnson, wide receiver Eric Decker and tight end Jace Amaro.
These additions to the offense will allow Smith to get the ball in the hands of playmakers, a luxury that he did not have last season.
Ryan and Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg made the right decision giving Smith the keys to the offense over Michael Vick. Vick, 34, may be the better player right now, but Smith is the future of the franchise. After an up and down season last year, the only decision was to allow Smith to have control of the offense with a handful of new weapons.
Eric Decker may not be a No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL, but he is much better than anyone the Jets had last season. Waiving wide receiver Stephen Hill was the correct decision. In two seasons, Hill hasn’t played up to his potential and his constant drops have been huge momentum killers to the team.
Chris Johnson and fellow running back Chris Ivory have the potential to be one of the best thunder and lightning running back duos in the entire league as long as they’re able to stay healthy.
On the defensive side of the bench, they bring back one of the best front-seven’s in the entire league. However, their secondary is going to be so shaky with the loss of Antonio Cromartie and all the injuries they’ve experienced.
Ryan and defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman will have to work a lot of magic to get Dee Miller to play up to his potential of a top-10 pick, once he’s fully healthy. On the other side of the field it’s going to be scary finding out who gets the second cornerback job.
It’s amazing that Kyle Wilson is still on the roster after all of the penalties he has committed. And the Dimitri Patterson situation was a disaster, with him going AWOL and then ultimately getting cut on Saturday.
Claiming cornerback Leon McFadden off of waivers from the Browns on Sunday was an interesting move. Yes, the Jets have a huge need for a cornerback, but McFadden committed eight penalties during the preseason. He and Kyle Wilson will have a lot in common in this season.
2013 Defensive Rookie of the Year Sheldon Richardson and outside linebacker Quinton Coples lead the front seven. These two players allow the Jets to put a lot of pressure on the quarterback, which will make their secondary issues less severe.
Overall, I think it will be another stressful season. With out of division games against the Packers, Bears, Lions, Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs and Steelers the Jets will have difficulty making the playoffs.
Looking through the schedule, I believe the Jets will finish 6-10. I have them beating the Raiders, Titans, Vikings, Dolphins once and the Bills twice. In a passing league, their secondary is just not put to par, which will ultimately lead to a bad season.
So good luck this season fellow Jets’ fans. We’re going to need it.