The New York Jets have attracted a lot of attention this off-season and pre-season. The Jet offense has stirred the majority of the buzz, rightfully so with the addition of Brett Favre and Alan Faneca. With Brett Favre's rocket arm and Coles' amazing speed and agility, the combo could be potent for the offense and deadly for opposing defenses. But the addition of Favre doesn't only affect the above average receiving crew of the Jets but it also affects the running game. Thomas Jones accumulated the quietest 1,000 yards on the ground in the league. Mainly because he didn't have many TDs to go along with it. But the Jets passing attack was less than spectacular also. Now with Favre behind center and the emanate threat of the deep attack, the running game should open up. The young Jet O-Line, that gets better every year, won't disappoint either. With Mangold and Ferguson having Faneca there to guide them I look for the entire line to make great strides in terms of improvement. The Jet offense no longer has to rely on quick outs or short slants to be effective through the air and Thomas Jones won't have three LBs waiting for him to get the ball. I don't expect to see the Jets leading the league in scoring but they will be far from last.
The Jet defense intrigues me the most this year. With the trade of Vilma most Jets fans were displeased, myself included, and lost a lot of hope for the defensive side of the ball. But despite the fact that Vilma had been one of the most consistent Jets players, it didn't shadow that he didn't "fit" in the 3-4 scheme very well. He racked up tackles but he didn't plug up the holes he needed to fill. His replacement, David Harris, will do just that. At 6ft 2inches and 243lbs he has exceptional speed and awareness. I look for him to step up big time in his new starting role. With Bryan Thomas(instead of 1st round pick Vernon Gholston) at the strong outside backer position, he also brings speed and strength to the table. Eric Barton retains his role at the ILB spot, he is the experienced backer in the core and will most likely lead the team in tackles this year. Calvin Pace rounds out this exceptional LB core. He had a great year last year. Racking up 106 tackles and 6.5 sacks. I look for the sack number to slightly increase. The Jet D-Line is no joke either. Shaun Ellis has been the star and still is. He's the leader of the D-line and his experience is critical to the Jet D. But his abilities haven't diminished to much in the past few years and he will have a solid year. Kenyon Coleman is the other DE in the mix. He led the Jet D-Line last year with 90 tackles. He will hopefully improve upon those numbers this season. Kris Jenkins will be looking to return to his former pro bowl form as the starting NT. He is great run stopper, and area the Jets needed to improve on. The line is solid and the LB core is beastly. But the secondary excites me the most. Kerry Rhodes(FS) is the star of the secondary, he led the Jet DBs with 5 INTs last year. Eric Smith(SS) has shown signs of big hit potential in his chances to play and this year he will have his starting job. Reevis, entering his 2nd year, starts at the CB spot. He did fairly well for a rookie last year and the experience he gained can only help him. Justin Miller will be the 2nd C. His kick returning skills shadow his defensive play and that will most likely be the story again this year but i don't see him giving up too many plays.
The Jets special teams is the only side of the football for the Jets that can be relied on. With Favre, Faneca, Harris, and Smith all looking to prove they belong, the punter(Ben Graham) and kicker(Mike Nugent) have already proven themselves and look to remain consistent.
All and all the Jets appear to be contenders. Hopefully the injuries of Tom Brady will help them garnish a division title and the injury of Manning will help them to win the AFC later in the year. The only thing i am certain of is that this Jets team will be exciting to watch.
Keywords: New York Jets
