Until footballs start flying through the air, it's always difficult to pinpoint which teams will find success. You can make some educated guesses based on rosters, but sometimes there are surprises. I didn't expect the Vikings to be 11-5 last year, and I certainly didn't expect the Colts to be 8-8 or the Cowboys to be 4-12. Injuries can alter a seasons direction in a heart beat. However we're in the business of talking football, so I checked out our schedule this year and here are my opinions on the five best quarterbacks the Jets will face this year.
5 - Andy Dalton, Week 1: Bengals @ Jets
He's never quite reached the level of being a first class QB, but I personally think that Dalton is underated in league circles. Last year he completed 66% of his passes while throwing 25 TD's to just 7 INT. He has one of the best receivers in the game to catch his passes and he made 11 plays last year of at least 40 yards. He's a dangerous QB to be facing, and he'll be a difficult match-up in week one. He doesn't run a great deal, but he has some mobility to make plays if the pocket breaks down.
4 - Andrew Luck, Week 13: Colts @ Jets
2015 was a season that Luck would love to forget. Plagued by injuries and inconsistent play, he was a shell of his former self, which is why he isn't a little higher on this list. However if he can stay healthy and if the offensive line can do a better job of keeping him protected, it's likely we'll see him return to form. In 2014, he threw 40 TD's to just 16 INT, he's an intelligent guy who will always look for the mismatch. Again, his success will depend on the offensive line, fortunately for the Jets, we have one of the best defensive fronts in football.
3 - Ben Roethlisberger, Week 5: Jets @ Steelers
Ben is another year older, but despite his stats not looking as dominant as they once did, I still highly rate him. He was restricted to 12 games last year, but he still managed to throw for nearly 4,000 yards and 21 TD's. He's a very frustrating player to face, he is elusive but not in the Russell Wilson way. He's so strong that he can extend plays beyond belief, you could have 2 players draped all over him and he'll find an open receiver. He's also working with one of the better receivers in the NFL, if not the best receiver in Antonio Brown.
2 - Russell Wilson, Week 4: Seahawks @ Jets
Here is a QB who really elevated his play last year. Who would have though a QB who was labelled as undersized coming out of college would become such a sensation so quickly. Last year he threw for over 4000 yards while hitting 34 TD's to just 8 interceptions. He rushed for a further 553 yards and he has that annoying habit of maintaining drives. He completed over 68% of his passes last year and there is no reason to doubt him going into 2016. He'll be extremely dangerous for a Jets team who has historically struggled to maintain elusive QB's.
1- Tom Brady, Week 12 & 16: Jets/Patriots
We're all waiting for that glorious day when Tom Brady decides to retire, but knowing the luck of the patriots his back-up will turn out to be just as good, if not better. Undoubtedly Tom is still one of the best if not the best QB in the league. Even if he is suspended to start the year, that won't help the Jets with both match-ups against the Patriots coming later in the year. 4770 yards, 36 touchdowns, 298 yards a game...the numbers speak for themselves. The Jets played Tom well last year in comparison to most teams, and we'll need to do that again this year if we have any chance of unseating the Patriots from their throne.