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ESPN have been ranking the NFL backfields this week and the Jets made a top 10 appearances, which is a little unusual for the Jets and ESPN recently.
With the Falcon combination of Freeman and Coleman coming out on top, the Jets managed to squeeze into the top 10 at number 8 with Matt Forte and Bilal Powell.
Matt Forte and Bilal Powell: Here's what I love about this duo: Both can play in any situation. Forte and Powell are complete backs who can handle double-digit carries or play in an up-tempo offense in which their pass-catching and pass-protection acumen can shine through. With 67 carries in three games, Forte has taken the load in the early going, but expect Powell to see more time as the season progresses.
Forte has dominated the carries early on with 67 in comparison to Powell's 9, however Forte is a little banged up at the moment and with him being on the wrong side of 30, we may see Powell's workload increase over the coming weeks.
I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised by Forte's 2016 so far. We all knew the talent was there, but 30+ RB's come with bright red warnings attached to them. At the moment Matt has shown no signs of slowing down and although I think we need to get him more involved in the passing game, he's offered the Jets a multi-purpose dimension already this year.
Many were expecting Powell to break out in a big way in 2016, but that hasn't quite happened just yet. However we're only 3 games in and like I mentioned earlier, Forte has taken a little bit of a beating so far this year due to the amount of carries he's had.
If you're wondering about the rest of the AFC East, the Patriots were ranked as having the #15 backfield, the Bills #21 and the Dolphins #31. Only the Bears ranked lower than Miami according to ESPN insider.