New York Jets 2015 Season Preview

New York Jets Previews: 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011

2014 Season Recap: Do we have to? Must we? It was an unmitigated disaster. Keeping Rex Ryan was the wrong move. After starting with a victory over the Raiders, the Jets lost eight in a row. They actually led the Packers 21-3 on the road in Week 2, and were looking at 2-0 when it all unraveled (but the Jets did have a TD removed from the scoreboard and their best defender was ejected). Absolutely nothing went right and Ryan was fired. Mercifully, so was his GM, John Idzik.

2015 Offseason: The Jets tabbed Mike Maccagnan as their new GM. A 1st time GM, he signed his 1st autograph recently. He promptly hired Todd Bowles as head coach. Bowles was a defensive wizard in Arizona. Together, they had an A+ offseason (thanks to all the cap room Idzik cleared; that was the only thing he did): Signing Darrelle Revis, trading for Brandon Marshall, and drafting Leonard Williams. Then, in late July, it all fell apart: Sheldon Richardson’s arrest hit the news after he’d already been suspended four games for “substance abuse.” And then in August, starting QB Geno Smith got his jaw broken by a teammate.

Offense: Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and rookie Bryce Petty. These are your options at QB. That does not inspire confidence. I’m not even sure they can improve on their bottom-five yards per play number the last two years (5.0). Fitzpatrick is a journeyman (he went to Harvard!) who has played well in spurts. Petty’s start date is probably 2017. Smith is a turnover machine who probably won’t be in the NFL in a couple years. Yes, I really do think the Jets should ante-up a 5th round pick and make a play for Robert Griffin III. It’s a low-risk move for a team that’s only a QB away.

I like the running backs, led by Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell. Zac Stacy had some nice moments with the Rams. I like the receivers. Two years ago, the Jets probably the worst set of WRs in the NFL. Now? Brandon Marshall-Eric Decker are a strong 1-2 punch. It sounds like Jeremy Kerley has fallen out of favor with Bowles. The Jace Amaro season-ending injury is a tough blow, but I’ve been a Jeff Cumberland fan for a couple years. The offensive line is a solid B group, with the potential to be B+ with the addition of guard James Carpenter and if D’Brickashaw Ferguson can regain his 2009-2011 Pro Bowl form. Willie Colon, who is 32, is the other guard, and perhaps the weakest link on the line.

The secondary got an overhaul, with three new starting CBs in Revis, Antonio Cromartie and slot corner Buster Skrine. (Yes, I know Skrine struggled in Cleveland, but he’ll almost exclusively be used in the slot, and if you watched Kyle “Toast” Wilson the last few years, I’m confident in saying the move is an upgrade.)

Calvin Pryor remains an enigma at safety. He’s a thumper, and hasn’t shown he’s capable of much else. The optimist in me: Bowles turned young strong safeties Deone Bucannon and Tony Jefferson into very good players last year in Arizona. Can he do the same with Pryor? I won’t even dream of Bowles being able to turn free safety Marcus Gilchrist into the playmaker the Honey Badger was in Arizona. Gilchrist is a fine player out of San Diego but he’s not on the same level as Tyrann Mathieu.

SCHEDULE:

Cleveland – W
Indianapolis – L
Philadelphia – L
Miami – L
Washington – W
New England – L
Oakland – W
Jacksonville – W
Buffalo – W
Houston – L
Miami – W
New York Giants – W
Tennessee – W
Dallas – L
New England – L
Buffalo – L

8-8, no playoffs. This outlook feels generous – splits with Miami and Buffalo; the Bills swept the Jets badly last year, and Miami has the feel of a playoff team this year – and are they really beating the Giants a team that is 5-0 against the Jets since 1996, and always just seem better, as difficult as that is to admit?