New England Patriots Column

New York Jets Column

By: AJ Laferrera

9/10/09

With the off-season, training camps, and preseason now done and finished, the regular season is fast approaching. Inside the New York Jets organization, there is a renewed sense of excitement, as rookie head coach Rex Ryan has spent the offseason rejuvenating a team that has spent the past several years under Eric Mangini’s cloud of secrecy.

Easily the most visible storyline heading into this season will be the play of rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, whom the Jets have already handed the keys of the franchise to. After being named the starter after the 1st preseason game, Sanchez had 3 very encouraging outings as the starter, showing resiliency in Baltimore, Leadership against the Giants, and precision in limited action against the Eagles. However, the preseason does not count towards the standings, and Sanchez will be looked upon to play a similar role as Joe Flacco did while Ryan was with the Baltimore Ravens. And, just as the case was with Flacco, the New York Jets will only go as far as their rookie quarterback allows them.

Also a major storyline following the New York Jets this offseason and preseason was the absence of a legitimate, playmaking wide receiver to pair alongside Jericho Cotchery. After several weeks of rumors regarding a Brandon Marshall to the NYJ trade, trade talks have gone flat and the Jets are still left with Chansi Stuckey and David Clowney battling for the 2nd starting receiver position. While both players offer tremendous excitement from the receiver position, neither has stepped up and run away with the starting job. And with a rookie quarterback, the lack of another offensive weapon has become a glaring point of interest for all fans. With names such as Marvin Harrison and Matt Jones still available, it is not as if the Jets are out of options. As the season wares on, this will certainly be a major focus of attention both within and outside the organization.

Moving to the Defensive side of the ball, Rex Ryan has revamped a defense that actually outpaced the Baltimore Ravens defense in sacks last year. With a defensive core that is as young as it was talented, Ryan has implemented his aggressive, blitzing style defense throughout the offseason. Gone are former starters David Bowens, Abram Elam, and Eric Barton, and in are Jim Leonhard, Bart Scott, Marques Douglas, and Lito Sheppard. The new additions alone should make for an improved defense, but perhaps most exciting aspect of the defense is the core of players still left on the roster. Darrelle Revis has emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in the league, and Kerry Rhodes is on his way to join Revis as one of the best players in any secondary. Both David Harris and Kris Jenkins are healthy, and with reliable backups in the Jets’ new defensive scheme both should be able to keep fresh throughout the season. The player to watch in this unit however remains Vernon Gholston, who after a dismally disappointing rookie season will be thrust into a starting role while Calvin Pace serves a 4 game suspension. While initially looking lost during camp, Gholston ended the preseason with his best game yet and finally began to produce some pressure from his OLB spot.

Having looked at both Offense and Defense, it is now time to switch our attention to Special Teams. Jay Feely remains the kicker, and limited playing time this preseason because of injury looks to be ready for a good season. New to the roster is Steve Weatherford, recently claimed off waivers. Weatherford is arriving with the smallest of shoes to fill, and the Jets are hoping that he can be a valuable addition to the field position battle. And, how could we mention special teams without mentioning Leon Washington, who will be lining up to return kickoffs once again for the Jets. His ability to change a game at any moment is a great asset for the Jets, and can not be overlooked.

Below is a list of storylines that we will follow throughout the year.

1. The progression of Mark Sanchez on offense and Vernon Gholston on Defense
2. The need for another wide receiver and the play of Chansi Stuckey and David Clowney
3. The contract disputed between Thomas Jones, Leon Washington and the NYJ
4. The punting game and the battle for field position
5. Who will play corner opposite Darrelle Revis?
6. Can the NYJ stay healthy?
7. Can Rex Ryan and Mike Pettine have the same success with this defense as they did in Baltimore?
8. Can the Jets replace Shaun Ellis and Calvin Pace during the first week and first four weeks, respectively?

Stay Tuned

1/12/09

NYJ face Big decisions, new HC

After week 12, the NYJ were looking like a team with legitimate super bowl potential. But over the last 5 weeks, the team that had posted impressive wins over the Patriots and then undefeated Titans tripped over itself time and time again, losing 4 of their last 5 and finishing 3^rd in a division in which they controlled their own destiny as late as week 16.

The fallout from such a poor finish resulted not only in missing the playoffs, but also in the firing of head coach Eric Mangini, whose inability to close out the season with a playoff berth most likely cost him his job. With Mangini gone, Brett Favre quickly became the new scapegoat, as several members of the team lashed out at his poor finish, which seemingly cost the NYJ a spot in the playoffs.

What becomes obviously clear after this season is that despite the barrage of free agent signings last year, the NYJ will again have to make a few moves if they want to be become legitimate AFC Championship contenders. The most important of these moves starts with finding a head coach, one that can successfully reengineer a team that had 7 pro bowlers this season. Since Mangini was fired (and recently rehired by the Cleveland Browns) several candidates have emerged. Initial reports had Bill Cowher interested, although these reports were quickly put to rest with Cowher announcing he will not be meeting with the Jets. Since then, several other candidates have emerged, including Cardinal Assistant Russ Grimm, Baltimore D Coordinator Rex Ryan, Giants D Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, BC Head Coach Jeff Jagodinsky, and in house candidate Brian Schoettenheimer, amongst several others.

Once the head coaching vacancy is filled several other issues will need to be addressed. Firstly, the future of Brett Favre needs to be decided. After initially looking like he still had some gas left in the tank, Favre faltered down the stretch and no longer seemed like a QB who could lead a team into the playoffs, no less the Super Bowl. Additionally, the defensive schemes will once again have to be looked at. After Herm Edwards' departure, the NYJ switched to a 3-4 defense and after 3 seasons finally have the appropriate pieces in place. The team must decide how much weight they want to place on keeping the current system in place, or switching back to the 4-3.

All of the above are going to dictate how the NYJ approach Free Agency and the NFL Draft. There are a number of different positions that could use an upgrade, and others that could use some Depth in the face of aging players. On defense, a corner to play opposite emerging star Darelle Revis could be a possibility, as could a safety to play along side Kerry Rhodes. On the linebacker level, Eric Barton is a Free Agent, and most likely will not be resigned by the NYJ. This will leave a hole along side David Harris, which will need to be addressed during the draft or Free Agency. On the Dline, DE's Kenyon Coleman and Shaun Ellis are good players, but starting to get old, and the position could use an infusion of youth. And depending on the head coaching hire, another DT may need to be looked at to provide depth.

On the other side of the ball, the offense lacks playmakers and this became evident during the NYJ late season slide. Favre is only holding this team back, and with 3 unproven QB's behind him, the QB position may need to be addressed during the draft, depending on how the pieces fall come draft day. On the outsides, Lavernous Coles and Jerricho Cotchery do not intimidate opponents, and a dangerous WR may also benefit a younger quarterback. With a solid Oline already in place, and a revamped running game, there are few better opportunities for a team to break in a young QB.

This off-season will prove to be very important for the NYJ franchise and its future. The next head coach will have a lot of different tools to work with, but will also face a number of tough decisions, ranging from how to deal with the Favre situation to how to approach a team with an ever increasing cap number. One thing is for sure though, it will certainly be an exciting off-season to watch.

12/2/08

Jets Still have Work to do

After several weeks of convincing performances and thoroughly emphatic wins, the NYJ once again proved this week that they are still a team only a few wins removed from a 3-3 start. While the bangwagon fans and the Subway super bowl talk will now gladly fade to oblivion, the recent loss to Denver serves in much the same way as the Jets win over Tennessee did for the Titans, as a wake up call and a need to return to fundamentals.

Coming off of the past few victories, the Jets were clicking on all cylinders. The secondary was creating turnovers, the run defense was stout, and most importantly the offense seemed to be gaining a rhythm that was exciting to watch. The sky was the limit, and for the first time this season we were seeing what a fully integrated Brett Favre was capable of. It was official; the Jets had the potential to be a very good team.

But this past week, it became very apparent that while the Jets certainly have the potential to be very good, they still have a good amount of work left. And Favre, for as much veteran leadership, excitement, and play making ability he has brought to the Jets, has also brought some of the same flaws that have made him the NFL’s career interception leader.

During the Denver game, several other flaws became apparent, and will certainly be addressed by coaches in the coming weeks. The pass rush has been disappearing in recent weeks, adding more pressure to a secondary that at times struggles to defend the pass. And the quick strike offense that worked so well was not nearly as crisp as it has been in previous weeks. Combined with some very costly turnovers, extremely poor play calling on both sides of the ball, and the strangely reoccurring Denver Bronco injuries during the two minute offense, and the recipe is a 34-17 beating.

All is not lost however. With the Patriot loss the Jets still remain atop the AFC East, and now turn to the final ¼ of the season, which provides a relatively forgiving schedule. Next week consists of a trip to struggling SF, followed by a home game against the even more so struggling Bills, and finally rounding out the season with Seattle and Miami. With a return to form, the Jets are looking at a very strong chance of making the playoffs, with the outside chance of earning a buy in the first round.

With an eye on the future, it is also becoming apparent that the Jets have several holes that could be upgraded via this coming years draft. On defense, the DE position could use an infusion of youth and talent. And while Barton has played well and Bowens has filled in admirably for Harris, the need for an ILB is becoming more and more important, especially with Barton’s pending FA approaching. Additionally, the secondary could use another shutdown corner opposite Revis, or another safety to provide depth behind Rhodes and the often inconsistent Elam.

On Offense, the Jets could use a big play skills player and some depth along the Oline. And with Favre not getting any younger and the constant possibility of retirement, the QB position may also be a position interest in this coming years draft.

But for now, the Jets have bigger things to worry about than the draft. Next week it’s off to San Francisco, to play an offensively struggling team that is 4-8 on the year. If they can take care of business like they could and should, the Playoffs are only a few wins around the corner