The 2014 New York Jets

[Paul Bunyan's Axe]

I think people are forgetting about this team, and in my mind, I see a contender in them. Not with their current team, but depending on the type of draft/free agency they have. If they get a couple of weapons on offense, I have no doubt that this is a playoff team, and possibly more. They're defense has been very good thanks to Rex Ryan, but their offense has not. Geno Smith has a chance to be something decent, so there's nothing to change there. The Running Back situation isn't too bad with Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell, two solid runners. However, the receivers are nothing special, and it's the main reason Geno struggled last year. If he had some threats to throw to, that could have been a playoff team. Their number 1 receiver going into the year was Santonio Holmes, and he was injured for most of it. On top of that, even if he was healthy, I don't think he would have done anything great. The rest of their receivers were fairly awful. No consistency at all, a lot of dropped passes. I think it hurt Smith's confidence not having anyone to help him out on offense. He's not a great QB, but he's definitely capable of more than what he did last season.

Also, Rex Ryan is a great coach. A lot of people were critical about the Jets extending his contract, but he is by far the best option they have, and I think he's a very underrated coach. The defense he has is not great talent wise, but Ryan's scheme and play calling makes them great. If he can figure out how to make on offense work like that defense does, it's a dangerous team. And on top of that, the players love him. Everyone on the Jets loves Ryan, and believes in him, so if you were to fire him, I highly doubt that the players will give in to whatever new coach you bring in.

So I'll definitely be interested in seeing what the Jets get over the off-season. What do you guys think? How far away are the Jets from being contenders?

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

Here's the problem with the Jets: they've spent their last five first-round draft picks on nothing but defensive personnel. Granted, two of these guys look like perennial Pro Bowlers (Wilkerson and Richardson) and one looks promising (Dee Milliner) but Kyle Wilson turned out to be a huge flop and Quinton Coples looks like he's headed that way. So, as brilliant of a defensive mind as Rex Ryan is, he is still missing two of the three parts necessary for any 3-4 defense to succeed: a dominant OLB and shut-down CB. However, the Jets' defensive problems are nothing compared to their problems on offense. Geno Smith may have a couple of outstanding games here and there, but he doesn't have the mental intangibles to match his otherwise excellent mechanics (he's still better than Mark Sanchez though, who sucks in every way imaginable). Furthermore, they have virtually nothing at all of their other skill positions.

At best, the Jets may sneak in as a wild card next year. On a positive note, though, Rex Ryan has proven that that's all he really needs to make it to the AFC championship.

 

[Akhilleus]

Look at who the Jets are facing as competition in the AFC East. Everyone said the same thing about the Dolphins last year, and I've been hearing nothing but how much potential the Buffalo Bills have since 2011. Yet in the end the same thing that happens every year is going to happen, those teams are all going to have either .500 or sub .500 records, and the New England Patriots are once again going to win the division. This is going to go on until Tom Brady retires. Maybe, just maybe we'll see one of the other AFC East teams make the wild card, but who's spot will they take? Pittsburgh Steelers are getting ready to get back in the playoffs, Ravens could do the same thing. So where are the Bengals going to go? I think they'll at least make a run for the wild card.

You've got two potential AFC wild card teams right in the North as long as they don't all play as awful as they did last year, which I'm not expecting. Then you have the AFC South. Houston Texans are a team with a lot of talent, but like the Steelers and Falcons just didn't have the pieces fall in the right spots. Texans have Foster, Andre Johnson, their rookie WR who they just drafted last year his name is slipping my mind. Can't forget that huge defensive presence in JJ Watt. So where do the Colts go? Are they just not going to make the playoffs after going two years straight, and winning the division last year? Definitely not they'll be up there for sure especially if Trent Richardson finally pans out.

And then of course we have the AFC West. Peyton Manning and the Broncos sure as hell aren't missing the playoffs. Chiefs just had their great year so unless that was a fluke they should be contending towards the end of the year as well. How about the Chargers? They made the playoffs last year too.

I honestly do not see any room for the New York Jets to do it. There are too many teams in the AFC right now who are neck and neck, and the Jets are at the bottom of that pile.

Geno Smith hardly did anything impressive with his 2013 rookie season, and the Jets have quite the running back problem to figure out, because nobody really broke out as a solid star. Santonio Holmes his just about done I'd be shocked if he played a full sixteen games. Clearly Rex Ryan does have something special if he could get Mark freaking Sanchez to the conference game two years straight, but that something special is just in his defensive abilities. His offensive game is awful.

The thing that scares me however is that Rex knows this is his last chance, so he's going to be desperate. They're going to be a very desperate team. I just don't think that's enough though. I see this team doing even worse than they did last year to be honest. Geno Smith hasn't proven anything, and their team just has too many holes on offense for them to even make the wild card. There are way too many other teams in the AFC that have contending potential for the Jets to even have a shot at fighting for it. Sorry, but that's just the way I see it.

 

[Paul Bunyan's Axe]

Yes, I agree that the competition is very good in the afc, which will keep good teams out of the playoffs. And right now, the jets aren't likely to make it with their current team. It really depends how they build over the next couple off season. If they do it right though, they can be a contender.

I don't really agree that ryan is desperate at this point. Its hard for me to imagine he'll be fired, unless the season is a rea train wreck. The potential is definitely there for the jets if they build the team right.

 

[Akhilleus]

Yes, I agree that the competition is very good in the afc, which will keep good teams out of the playoffs. And right now, the jets aren't likely to make it with their current team. It really depends how they build over the next couple off season. If they do it right though, they can be a contender.

I don't really agree that ryan is desperate at this point. Its hard for me to imagine he'll be fired, unless the season is a rea train wreck. The potential is definitely there for the jets if they build the team right.

I disagree entirely. I think Rex Ryan was lucky enough to keep his job for one more season. He only got a one year extension, and so if the team doesn't anything more than amazing improvement he will be fired. I'm thinking anything less than a 10-6 season will get Ryan the axe, and not Paul Bunyan's.

You could really say that for any team. Rebuilding, if done right, gets you into the playoffs. Look at the Chiefs. The fact of the matter is the Jets aren't doing it right, and as said before look at some of their latest draft picks. John Idzik, general manager of the Jets, may be one of the bigger problems as well. Though there's enough evidence that shows Rex Ryan isn't helping the problem.

Doing it right for the Jets would require a complete makeover. That means new coaching staff, and a new GM. I would suggest to them not to give up on Geno Smith yet, but I think they should draft a running back and wide receiver early in the draft this year.

 

[Paul Bunyan's Axe]

It wasn't a one year extension. It goes through at least the 2016 season, so once again, I doubt they cut him before that.

I really disagree in saying that rex ryan isn't helping the problem though. If anything, he's what's kept the jets to decent seasons, because that roster is not that talented, and he was still able to bring them to two afc championship games.

 

[Akhilleus]

It wasn't a one year extension. It goes through at least the 2016 season, so once again, I doubt they cut him before that.

I really disagree in saying that rex ryan isn't helping the problem though. If anything, he's what's kept the jets to decent seasons, because that roster is not that talented, and he was still able to bring them to two afc championship games.

Yeah I want to apologize as my last post had all sorts of errors. John Idzik wasn't the problem with the NYJ, in fact their GM Mike Tannenbaum was already fired. That's why you don't trust Wikipedia. They just hired Idzik at the beginning of the year.

And as you pointed out Rex Ryan doesn't just have a one year extension. For that one I had heard he's staying past 2013, but I never heard the specifics. That is still an awful move in my opinion, I don't understand the Rex Ryan love.

So anyway I was ignorant of a lot of things in my last post, forgive me for that. Looking at John Idzik it seems like maybe it will be the first step in the Jets' rebuilding process. He played a large role with the Seahawks for the last few years, and judging by their success maybe he can do it with the Jets. They have a lot of work though, and like I said with how competitive the AFC is right now I can't see the Jets being one of the teams to make it in. In fact I see them going backwards and not forwards. And when that happens, and Rex Ryan finishes with a 7-9 record, then he'll get fired. He is better off as a defensive coordinator.

 

[Big Sexy]

The Jets may have the least amount of offensive talent in the entire league. I know the Seahawks showed that defense wins championships but you have to have some offense. Geno Smith is basically a more athletic Mark Sanchez (way too many turnovers) and he has no one to throw to. Santonio Holmes is likely getting cut which leaves Jeremy Kerley and David Nelson as his top two receivers. They have some talent at running back but neither Chris Ivory nor Bilal Powell is a concrete number one guy. They can get away with the backs that they have but if they don't draft a receiver in the first round AND try to get a decent name in free agency then they aren't going anywhere. Draft Marquise Lee (if available) and try to sign a guy like Jeremy Maclin, then we'll talk. Even with those moves happening they are a wild card team at best.