Have you noticed that we are being sold a bill of goods? Everyone is selling New York Jets, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, HBO, and anyone else that talks or writes about the NFL. The football world has “Gang Green” Fever. “Soon to be champs” is what Rex Ryan wrote on Adam Schefter’s bus during his NFL training camp stop for ESPN. I don’t see it personally. Yes, they have a good defense and they finished last season by not only making the playoffs but by becoming a Cinderella story but I do not see the slipper fitting anymore and the tiara will not fit on the Jets' collective big head.
Let’s take a closer look at last season. The Jets lost 6 of 7 games in middle of season. Also, not to play a “what if” game but in week 16 and 17 last year both Indianapolis and Cincinnati rested starters and played vanilla, lackluster football in what amounted to meaningless games for both the Colts and Bengals. If the outcome of just one of those games were different then the Jets would have been 8-8 and out of the playoffs. In the playoffs they knocked off a Cincinnati Bengals team that was out of gas and then ran through the arm tackles and overconfidence of the San Diego Chargers.
If they did not have the playoff run then the discussion about the Jets this year would be about whether second year quarterback Mark Sanchez could evolve to be a quality starter in the NFL, if the Jets could overcome the loss of their leading rusher, and the pesky little holdout by Darrelle Revis. With the Jets there are more questions than answers.
1. We know that they have a good defense and Rex Ryan can coach defense and scheme with the best of them. But I blogged before about the fact that if Darrelle Revis is not shutting down one side of the field it weakens the Jets defense more than “experts” want to admit (Ryan included). How can you blitz your safeties if you need to provide help over the top? Relying on a rookie and Antonio Cromartie (and his matador ways) presents problems for the complex blitzing schemes that are built upon the assumption that at least one side of the field will be shutdown with safety help. Chances are the Revis situation will get resolved (regardless of the public statements by Woody Johnson the Jets’ owner)
2. Mark Sanchez not an elite quarterback yet. He was pedestrian last year. Granted he was not asked to do much and he delivered less. He threw for 2,444 yards, a 12-20 touchdown to interception ratio, and a QB rating of 63. Not exactly stellar. Again, if the Jets had not slipped into the playoffs last year the questions following Sanchez would be about does he have the ability to be an efficient, effective passer in the NFL, and can he afford a sophmore slump that has plagued many QBs. Those questions remain regardless of the hype.
3. The Jets are faced with issues at receiver. There starting receivers will miss a total of 5 games this season due to league suspensions. Santonio Holmes will miss 4 games due to suspension did break a thousand yards (1248) with 5 TD with the Steelers (a year that they threw more than ran) and was traded in the off season when he wore out his welcome in Pittsburgh. Braylon Edwards, who was traded to the Jets after wearing out his welcome in Cleveland), will miss 1 game due to suspension. Edwards hardly lived up to the lofty expectations of a former number 1 pick putting up 680 yards and 4 TD while still having those annoying alligator arms. So needless to say there are some question marks at receiver for New York.
4. The Jets let go of Thomas Jones who rushed for 1402 yards and 14 TDs last season. He was durable, powerful, and effective. They do have Shonn Greene who rushed for 540 yards and 2 TDs last season. He looks like the real deal but depth is key in the modern NFL especially in this era of the two back systems.
5. No fear you say as they added LaDainian Tomlinson as a free agent in the off season. Now, I am one of the biggest LT fans there is. I lived in central Texas when he was tearing it up at University High School in Waco, Texas and then at TCU. I thought he should have won the Heisman Trophy 2001 and been the number one pick over Michael Vick in that year's NFL draft. But he’s done. As sad as it is to admit and I want to be wrong. But he put up 730 yards at 3.3 yards per carry last year. He can’t stay healthy and the numbers (age and yards per carry) are working against him. The Jets also added the over the hill Jason Taylor (7 sacks last year) and will use him at outside linebacker (too small to play DE in a 3-4 defense).
6. The last thing working against the Jets is all of those annoying distractions. There are the Hard Knocks cameras, there is the Revis contract situations, there are numerous players on the last year of their contracts (see Holmes and Edwards), there is LT accepting that he is not a star back anymore but a complementary player, and the biggest distractions of all, Rex Ryan. Coach Ryan, I respect your defensive prowess and your powers of motivation but shut up. In case you haven’t noticed your team has not won anything, has issues (see above), is fully coated in hype, and your “brashness” isn’t cute anymore, it’s just a distraction.
The New York Jets already overhyped and soon to be overrated.
Let’s take a closer look at last season. The Jets lost 6 of 7 games in middle of season. Also, not to play a “what if” game but in week 16 and 17 last year both Indianapolis and Cincinnati rested starters and played vanilla, lackluster football in what amounted to meaningless games for both the Colts and Bengals. If the outcome of just one of those games were different then the Jets would have been 8-8 and out of the playoffs. In the playoffs they knocked off a Cincinnati Bengals team that was out of gas and then ran through the arm tackles and overconfidence of the San Diego Chargers.
If they did not have the playoff run then the discussion about the Jets this year would be about whether second year quarterback Mark Sanchez could evolve to be a quality starter in the NFL, if the Jets could overcome the loss of their leading rusher, and the pesky little holdout by Darrelle Revis. With the Jets there are more questions than answers.
1. We know that they have a good defense and Rex Ryan can coach defense and scheme with the best of them. But I blogged before about the fact that if Darrelle Revis is not shutting down one side of the field it weakens the Jets defense more than “experts” want to admit (Ryan included). How can you blitz your safeties if you need to provide help over the top? Relying on a rookie and Antonio Cromartie (and his matador ways) presents problems for the complex blitzing schemes that are built upon the assumption that at least one side of the field will be shutdown with safety help. Chances are the Revis situation will get resolved (regardless of the public statements by Woody Johnson the Jets’ owner)
2. Mark Sanchez not an elite quarterback yet. He was pedestrian last year. Granted he was not asked to do much and he delivered less. He threw for 2,444 yards, a 12-20 touchdown to interception ratio, and a QB rating of 63. Not exactly stellar. Again, if the Jets had not slipped into the playoffs last year the questions following Sanchez would be about does he have the ability to be an efficient, effective passer in the NFL, and can he afford a sophmore slump that has plagued many QBs. Those questions remain regardless of the hype.
3. The Jets are faced with issues at receiver. There starting receivers will miss a total of 5 games this season due to league suspensions. Santonio Holmes will miss 4 games due to suspension did break a thousand yards (1248) with 5 TD with the Steelers (a year that they threw more than ran) and was traded in the off season when he wore out his welcome in Pittsburgh. Braylon Edwards, who was traded to the Jets after wearing out his welcome in Cleveland), will miss 1 game due to suspension. Edwards hardly lived up to the lofty expectations of a former number 1 pick putting up 680 yards and 4 TD while still having those annoying alligator arms. So needless to say there are some question marks at receiver for New York.
4. The Jets let go of Thomas Jones who rushed for 1402 yards and 14 TDs last season. He was durable, powerful, and effective. They do have Shonn Greene who rushed for 540 yards and 2 TDs last season. He looks like the real deal but depth is key in the modern NFL especially in this era of the two back systems.
5. No fear you say as they added LaDainian Tomlinson as a free agent in the off season. Now, I am one of the biggest LT fans there is. I lived in central Texas when he was tearing it up at University High School in Waco, Texas and then at TCU. I thought he should have won the Heisman Trophy 2001 and been the number one pick over Michael Vick in that year's NFL draft. But he’s done. As sad as it is to admit and I want to be wrong. But he put up 730 yards at 3.3 yards per carry last year. He can’t stay healthy and the numbers (age and yards per carry) are working against him. The Jets also added the over the hill Jason Taylor (7 sacks last year) and will use him at outside linebacker (too small to play DE in a 3-4 defense).
6. The last thing working against the Jets is all of those annoying distractions. There are the Hard Knocks cameras, there is the Revis contract situations, there are numerous players on the last year of their contracts (see Holmes and Edwards), there is LT accepting that he is not a star back anymore but a complementary player, and the biggest distractions of all, Rex Ryan. Coach Ryan, I respect your defensive prowess and your powers of motivation but shut up. In case you haven’t noticed your team has not won anything, has issues (see above), is fully coated in hype, and your “brashness” isn’t cute anymore, it’s just a distraction.
The New York Jets already overhyped and soon to be overrated.
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