• Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Jets Breakdown: 9/8

Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets are eager to start the season, and put last season behind them. Last season saw the Jets underachieve with a dismal 4-12 record, which was headlined by a eight game losing streak. Geno Smith also was the center of conversation, due to his poor decision making and vulnerability to turning the ball over. Last season also saw the Chris Johnson experiment fail. Johnson wasn’t utilized much last year, and did not return to the Jets this season. The rushing attack wasn’t what it had been in recent years, and the secondary was the worst its been in years.

However this is a new year, and New York has added some crucial pieces to make them contenders again in the AFC East. The Jets have brought back Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, which instantly makes that secondary much better. The secondary struggled on defending against big plays down field last year, week in and week out. Bringing those two players back will limit the number of big plays down field, as well as helping the younger players like Dexter McDougle and Darrin Walls to get better.

The receiving core struggled to make a consistent impact last year, and the addition of Brandon Marshall instantly makes them better. Marshall is known for being a great route runner, and will get open. This will help out the other receivers like Eric Decker and Jeremy Kerley to get open and be effective in the pass game.

Having spoke on the new additions, the Jets have some issues involving returners to the team. Geno Smith was involved in a locker room altercation which resulted in him getting sucker punched by former teammate IK Enemkpali (who was later released). This lead many to question his leadership, and sidelined Smith due to a broken jaw. Ryan Fitzpatrick for now has been named the starter, and could remain that way if he plays well in Smith’s absence.

The Jets also will be without their standout defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson for four games, due to a violation of the NFL‘s substance abuse policy. New York is looking to him for a big year and help Muhammad Wilkerson make that defensive front one of the most feared in the league.

Amidst all the issues with the Jets, they still have the foundation to be a solid football team moving forward. New York has a good mix of veteran players, and talented youth to make them contenders for a wild card spot in the AFC or possibly even an AFC East title. The future looks bright for the Jets, and soon we will see what they are made of.

Barry Holmes is a Feature Writer for PureSportsNY.com. Follow him on Twitter @BHO732

By Barry Holmes

Graduate of Millersville University, with a BS in Communications focused in Broadcast. Senior Writer & Social Media Manager for PureSportsNY.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.