FanPost

NYJ: Half Empty, Part II


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After writing up the Jets in part I with glazed over green eyes, my schizophenic other half is fully ready to rebound with a dose of reality. Of course, I'd love to live in a world of delusion and fantasize about the Jets winning it all this season, but like always the sledgehammer of gangreen mediocrity will strike at some point so I might as well temper the blow now.

So let me start off by saying this Jet's team is still a very average team despite their off-season moves. Somehow, like winning consecutive lotteries, this organization and coaching staff think they are going to plug in rookies, unproven players and aging veterans and transform this team into a superbowl contender.

Let's look at the defense.

How much can they expect from the rookies Quinton Coples and Demario Davis? An unproven player in Kenrick Ellis? A rehabbing Bryan Thomas? An aging Bart Scott in his last year? An old Yeremiah Bell playing for the first time in this defense? An oft injured and still rehabbing LaRon Landry also playing in this defense for the first time?

Outside of Darrelle Revis and Mo Wilkerson, there's not much to be impressed with. Coples and Ellis won't make the DL much better this year. The linebackers might even take a step back with the age and injuries they're dealing with. Speaking of linebackers, Aaron Maybin's a complete joke. if not for the great coverage of our defensive backs he'd be cut already. And the safeties may struggle in this scheme, like Brodney Pool did when he joined the team.

Nonetheless, it is a solid defense, but overall I don't see this group being better then what they were last year. I fully expect they'll continue to have difficulty rushing the passer and covering the middle of the field.

On the offensive side of the ball, I'm actually a little worried.

You can spin the ground and pound anyway you want, but the bottom line is they're trying to take the ball out of Mark Sanchez's hands. That tells me all I need to know about our "franchise" QB. If Sanchez can get on the same page as his receivers, which always seems harder than usual for a Jets QB, then maybe he can manage the passing game with limited turnovers.

As skeptical as I am in Sanchez being able to read defenses correctly, get on the same page as his receivers, throw a 60% completion rate and a 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio, I'm even more skeptical in the ground and pound.

At best Shonn Greene is an average back who needs a good offensive line to succeed. Unfortunately, the Jets didn't do anything to improve the OL from its poor performance last year. Will Wayne Hunter even make it to the bye week as a starter at RT? Do the Jets have a replacement for him? If Vlad Ducasse isn't even in the discussion to start at RT over Wayne Hunter what does that tell you about Vlad Ducasse? Can the Jets find a good blocking TE still who can learn the offense and not kill drives with dumb penalties?

Behind Shonn Greene there's Joe McKnight who is largely unproven and doesn't exactly instill confidence in me to replace the role of LaDainian Tomlinson. Tim Tebow might be the best RB on the team right now.

When I look at this offense I think this team won't be going very far. I see a very average offense unable to score many points that will need gimmick plays to add a spark every week. Couple that with an exploitable defense and even if by virtue of an easy schedule they make the playoffs don't expect a repeat of '09 and '10.

Now that I'm depressed over this team I need to go back and re-read part I. ;)

This is a FanPost written by a registered member of this site. The views expressed here are those of the author alone and not those of anybody affiliated with Gang Green Nation or SB Nation.