Is This Finally the Year for the New York Jets?
When you think of the term poverty franchise, which NFL teams come to mind? Two teams that should come to mind are the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets. Both teams have had their share of infamous moments over the past decades, but for the New York Jets, this season could change the narrative of their organization.
Past season
Last season, after the addition of legendary Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Jets fans were given a glimpse of hope. After suffering a season of horrendous Quarterback play, Jets fans felt Rodgers would be able to fill the void that held the Jets back. Jets fans’ optimism carried all through the offseason, but was quickly shot after Rodgers went down 4 plays into his first game, suffering what would be a season-ending Achilles tear.
The Jets would finish the season with a revolving door at the QB position, rotating between Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle, and Trevor Siemian. Despite the Jets’ horrific QB play once again, it was clear their Quarterbacks were not solely to blame. The Jets' Offensive Line did their QBs no favors, as their QBs were under heavy pressure each time they dropped back.
Thanks to the Jets’ #1 ranked defense, they were able to scrape out 7 wins, finishing with a 7–10 record. With the hopes Jets fans had going into the season, the 2023 NFL season is a season those fans would like to forget.
Changes since last year
Aaron Rodgers made a speedy recovery from his Achilles tear, returning to practice 3 months after his tear. Despite his scientifically impossible recovery time, he was not put back into in-game action, as the Jets had fallen out of playoff contention. Rodgers now has a full offseason to recover and looks to be fully healthy for the upcoming season.
Knowing QB was not their only weakness, the Jets ensured to bolster their O-line. They would sign multi-time Pro Bowl & member of the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade team Left Tackle Tyron Smith. They would trade for Right Tackle Morgan Moses and sign Guard John Simpson, both of whom are coming off respectable seasons for the Baltimore Ravens. Lastly, they would use their 11th overall pick on Tackle Olu Fashanu.
Along with the additions to their O-line, they would sign standout Wide Receiver (when healthy) Mike Williams. Williams has had massive struggles staying healthy over the years, but if he can hold up for 1 season, the Jets will have a deadly WR combo of Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams.
Lastly, after finishing 1st in PFF’s team defensive rankings, the Jets only built upon their defense from last season, adding an exceptional pass-rusher in Haasan Reddick. They signed Javon Kinlaw, who was drafted by the Niners under Robert Saleh. Reunited with Saleh, Kinlaw will look to take a step forward from his tenure with the Niners. Despite key losses to their defense like Bryce Huff and John Franklin-Meyers, their signings more than offset those losses, and those losses can be further made up for if their 2023 1st-round pick Will McDonald IV can take a leap. Once again, the Jets rank #1 in PFF’s team defensive rankings for the upcoming season.
Aaron Rodgers & Tom Brady comparison
What has surprised me the most about coverage over the Jets is the lack of skepticism about whether Aaron Rodgers will succeed in New York. Before his trade to the Jets, Rodgers was coming off the worst full season of his career. Now going into his age 41 season, it would seem difficult for him to bounce back.
The lack of skepticism for Rodgers’ success is likely due to Tom Brady. In Tom Brady’s last season in New England, he suffered the worst full season of his career. Going into his age 43 season as he left for Tampa, many wrote him off. They felt he was too old to succeed and win another Super Bowl. However, many missed key factors as to why he didn’t succeed in his final season with the Patriots. The Patriots lacked any standout pass-catchers outside of Edelman, and their O-line barely gave Brady time to throw. After leaving for Tampa, Brady quieted his critics, leading the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory, after many had told him to retire.
Because of Brady’s success at his old age, coming off a disappointing season, many don’t want to make the same mistake in writing off Rodgers. And they would be 110% correct in doing so.
Jets similarities to 2020 Buccaneers
Outside of Rodgers and Brady, there are many glaring similarities between the Jets and the 2020 Buccaneers.
The Buccaneers had a superb defense. The common saying “Defense wins championships” held true for the Buccaneers, as it was vital to their Super Bowl victory over the 15–1 Kansas City Chiefs. The Buccaneers’ pass rush was a nightmare for opposing QBs, and their secondary held their ground. The Jets have arguably a greater pass rush than the 2020 Buccaneers, along with a definitively superior secondary.
The 2020 Buccaneers were supported by a stellar Offensive line. The Buccaneers' entire O-line featured names many fans are familiar with, in Donovan Smith, Ali Marpet, Ryan Jensen, Alex Cappa, and Tristan Wirfs. The Buccaneers' O-line finished 5th in PFF’s rankings after the 2020 season. As of now, the Jets’ O-lines rank #5 on PFF.
During the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl run, the Buccaneers turned to Leonard Fournette to lead their ground game. Playoff Lenny went into full effect, accumulating 448 scrimmage yards along with 4 scrimmage touchdowns throughout the Buccaneers’ 4 postseason games. The Jets can without a doubt rely on workhorse Running Back Breece Hall, who dispelled the trend of RBs not being able to produce during their 1st season after an ACL tear. This past season, Hall amassed 1585 total scrimmage yards with 9 scrimmage touchdowns, despite being fresh off an ACL tear, suffering horrible Quarterback play, and having a horrendous O-Line. Hall is a far better athlete than Fournette and will be a staple for the Jets this season.
Lastly, the Buccaneers had one of the best possible Wide Receiver trios a team could ask for. The Buccaneers had a standout WR duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, who would later be joined by Antonio Brown, only 1 year removed from a 15 TD season in Pittsburgh. The Jets will have Garrett Wilson, filling the role of Godwin as a slot receiver, along with Mike Williams, filling the role of Mike Evans as a versatile outside receiver.
Antonio Brown was a disgruntled Wide Receiver, unhappy in Pittsburgh, and would force a trade to the Las Vegas Raiders. He would be frustrated in Vegas before playing a game for the team and force his way to play with Brady. While Brown would be released by the Patriots in 2019, he would nonetheless find himself teammates with Brady again with the Bucs in 2020. It just so happens that a former Wide Receiver for Aaron Rodgers is unhappy with the Las Vegas Raiders as well. Davante Adams has shown his frustrations in Las Vegas, with bad Quarterback play and taking on brutal hits. The Raiders’ addition of Gardner Minshew does not help this cause. Minshew threw a mass amount of hospital passes last season, one of them which led to Colts’ top receiver Michael Pittman Jr. getting concussed. The Raiders will likely not contend, and Minshew very likely will put Adams in danger with his passes that lead receivers into defenders. The Raiders have been adamant about keeping Adams, meaning an offseason trade involving Adams will be unlikely. However, if Adams’ frustrations boil over during the season, and the Raiders are not in contention, we could very well see a Rodgers and Adams reunion.
One key difference between the Jets and the 2020 Buccaneers is the Tight End position. The Buccaneers had the luxury of having the services of legendary TE Rob Gronkowski. While it would’ve been fun had the Jets used their 1st round pick on TE Brock Bowers, making this a perfect comparison, the Jets made the right move by taking a Tackle, drafting a lineman for the future, along with adding insurance in case one of their Tackles suffers an injury this season. Additionally, no matter the Tight End Rodgers is given, he seems to always be able to find them in the Red Zone.
Conclusion
Jets fans have had little to hope for during the 2010s and beyond. However, with their vastly improved roster, Jets Nation can finally rise again. The main team standing in the Jets’ way of winning it all this year is none other than the mighty Kansas City Chiefs. But the Jets have a similar and arguably better supporting cast around Rodgers than the Buccaneers had around Brady. And we all know who Tom Brady and the Buccaneers were able to take down during Super Bowl 55.
